"Now a long-standing but mainly latent threat is coalescing, with the war waged on the country by the US and Israel, to raise the risk of an attack on American soil to levels unseen since the murderous al-Qaida assaults of 11 September 2001, experts say."
"While there is no direct evidence linking the incidents directly to Iran, analysts say an asymmetric attack ordered or inspired by Tehran in response to the US-Israeli military action is a real and present danger. At the same time, instability at the FBI and Department of Homeland Security has left the US underprepared."
"In an election year, opponents of Donald Trump are warning that such an event could rebound to his advantage — providing him with a pretext to crack down on critics by declaring a state of emergency or even cancelling November's congressional midterm elections."
The US and its allies have long characterized Iran as the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism. Recent military conflicts between the US, Israel, and Iran have significantly elevated the threat of retaliatory attacks on American territory to unprecedented levels since 2001. Recent incidents demonstrate this danger: a former national guardsman with Islamic State ties opened fire at Old Dominion University in Virginia, and a Lebanese-American rammed a truck into a synagogue in Michigan after losing family members in an Israeli raid on Lebanon. An earlier March attack in Austin, Texas involved a shooter displaying Iranian symbolism. While no direct Iranian links are confirmed, analysts warn that asymmetric attacks ordered or inspired by Tehran represent a genuine and immediate threat. Simultaneously, instability within the FBI and Department of Homeland Security has compromised US preparedness for such incidents.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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