What the latest ISIS threat means for New Jersey
ISIS has posted a new propaganda video online entitled "We Will Burn America." It promises a new 9/11 style attack on U.S. soil and issues a call to arms to supporters and sympathizers.
Meanwhile, a security breach on the New Jersey Casino Reinvestment Development Authority website continues to be investigated, after someone posed pro-ISIS declarations on that site. A top FBI intelligence analyst who did not want to be identified agreed to speak with New Jersey 101.5 News about the situation -- at an undisclosed location.
He noted the biggest threat facing New Jersey residents right now is from ISIS sympathizers.
"We're very concerned about that lone individual somewhere in the state that is being inspired on the Internet or just watching TV or other things, and then carrying out an attack here in their name," the analyst said.
He also said "a lot of them you could say they could be mentally disturbed or a crackpot of something, but I think a lot of them are people that are looking for something, looking to belong to things."
He said that in recent weeks there have been several arrests made across the country of individuals believed to be inspired by a terrorist organization to launch an attack, so it's important for all Garden State residents to be aware of their surroundings.
"Nothing could be seen as silly or dismissive," the analyst said. "If there's anything, report it, and we all look at these things, local law enforcement, we work directly with them. The threat is very broad and the more eyes and ears out there the better, and it will help us."
In other words, don't feel funny about calling police if you see something that raises your suspicion.
"You might have seen something and felt, 'oh, I don't want to report that,' but it could be something," he said. "That might be that missing piece to the big puzzle that we're trying to put together in an investigation."
The analyst stressed that while vigilance is very important "there is no specific threat at all to our area."
He also noted it's not unusual for ISIS to post a propaganda video online, or use any other social media to get their message out and try to attract recruits.
"This isn't the old days when you had to fly people overseas somewhere to train them how to do things. Now you can do it from anywhere. All you need is a Wi-Fi spot and you're connected to the whole world and instructions for how to do anything you can really set your mind to, the Internet is a crazy place for anything."
He also said the people that run these terror organizations "are smarter than a lot of people give them credit for and they know how to do this just as well as anybody else does to get their message out."