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New York is facing an “extremely serious” terrorism threat following the arrest of eight Tajik nationals with suspected ties to ISIS, according to Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Security Chief Greg Ehrie.

Reports emerged earlier this week that eight men originating from Tajikistan who may be associated with ISIS-Khorasan, or ISIS-K, had been arrested in New York, Philadelphia and Los Angeles after illegally entering the country through the U.S.-Mexico border.

Ehrie, who investigated terror threats for the FBI prior to joining the Port Authority, said during an appearance on CNN‘s Erin Burnett OutFront on Friday that the arrests suggest that a terrorist attack could be coming.

Read more: Emergency Funds: How to Build One and Where to Keep It

“It’s extremely serious,” Ehrie said. “I liken it to a weather front. You’re seeing all the fronts coming into play.”

The Statue of Liberty is pictured in front of the Manhattan skyline in this undated file photo of New York City. Chief security officer for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said…
The Statue of Liberty is pictured in front of the Manhattan skyline in this undated file photo of New York City. Chief security officer for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said on Friday that the threat of a terrorist attack was “extremely serious” following reports that eight Tajik nationals with suspected ISIS links had been arrested after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. ALFSnaiper

The Context

Reports earlier this week from the New York Post and NBC claimed that the ISIS-linked Tajik men had been arrested in three sting operations carried out by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). At least two of the men are believed to have entered the U.S. in spring 2023.

ISIS-K terrorists from Tajikistan are believed to be responsible for the March terror attack at Crocus City Hall in Moscow, which killed 145 people and wounded hundreds more.

While no specific threat to New York City has been reported, the city was devastated by the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that destroyed the original World Trade Center and its twin towers, and the site is often considered a likely target for future attacks due to several surrounding high-profile landmarks.

What We Know

Ehrie on Friday suggested that multiple “fronts” were “in play” after being asked by CNN’s Burnett on the severity of the threat posed by suspected ISIS terrorists crossing into the U.S.

“It’s extremely serious,” Ehrie said. “I liken it to a weather front. You’re seeing all the fronts coming into play: We have a border issue. We have an ideological issue. We have ISIS-K—which is increasing their external operations—and then we find these individuals who we don’t really know a lot about in our borders.”

Ehrie went on to say that U.S. targets making “the biggest splash” for terrorists were particularly vulnerable.

“In the business of terrorism, you want the notoriety, you want the media attention,” he said. “You start to think: What’s the next target that would get them the most notoriety, that would make the biggest splash for them? It’s hard not to come back to the United States.”

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Newsweek reached out for comment to ICE via email on Friday night.

New York City Council member Robert Holden told Fox News on Wednesday that he feared “another 9/11” was on the way due to “who’s coming into our country” at the southern border.

“It’s frightening, and we’re headed for another 9/11,” Holden said. “I predicted that, I think we should have a secure border. We should know who’s coming into our country— we don’t.”

“And millions of migrants and illegal aliens have gotten through,” he added. “So it’s a situation that we’re just, you know, really rolling the dice here.”

What’s Next

While the FBI and Department of Homeland Security acknowledged in a joint statement that “ICE agents arrested several non-citizens” in “close coordination with the FBI’s joint terrorism task forces,” it is not clear that those arrested, or anyone else linked to ISIS-K, had plans to carry out terrorist attacks within the U.S.

President Joe Biden signed an executive order earlier this month designed to address a surge in border crossings by blocking asylum-seekers when arrests for illegal entry reach 2,500 people per day.

SEEMS LIKE HARDLY A DAY GOES BY that we don’t hear about an arrest of an American extremist planning a mass shooting, the assasination of a judge or election official, or foreign terrorists planning some mass casualty event. Then there’s the illegal border entry of foreign agents, the seeming tidal wave of Chinese espionage and hacking cases, and reports of Russian disinformation efforts to sow chaos in our elections.

FBI Director Chris Wray was in Kenya this week for consultations (Photo: EV)

All of which has put a heavy burden on the FBI, our primary domestic counterintelligence and counterrorism agency, to thwart such plots without infringing on the 1st Amendment rights of Americans to speak their minds, no matter how extreme their views. The FBI hardly has a spotless record in this regard.

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To discuss this threat matrix, my guest on this week’s SpyTalk podcast is Frank Figliuzzi, who spent much of his three-plus decades in the FBI running major field offices before retiring in 2012 as assistant director of the FBI’s counterintelligence division. You’ve probably seen Frank on NBC or MSNBC, where he’s a regular contributor. He’s also been out and about this week talking about his new book,  Long Haul: Hunting the Highway Serial Killers, for which he spent 2,000 miles riding the road investigating truckstop sex trafficking.

Frank Figliuzzi (MSNBC screengrab)

Do listen here, on Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts. We also very much welcome your comments.

In today’s edition of Ukrainska Pravda Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who met with US presidential candidate Donald Trump on 8 March, claimed that Trump has “quite detailed plans” to end the war in Ukraine and will not be giving “a single penny” to fight Russian aggression in Ukraine. This was taken from his interview with TV channel M1, following his visit to meet former US President Donald Trump. M1 is the 24hour Hungarian news channel owned and operated by Duna Media

Once you read through the mutual fawning love fest, the message is simple and frightening.

There are no detailed plans, Trump’s thinking is all transactional and based on the money. The core message from Putin’s courier is Trump has already decided about future funding for Ukraine. If he is elected President of the US, he will stop all funding for Ukraine Trump also believes Europe and NATO allies will do likewise. He has already let the world know he will shut down NATO.

Trump’s life is driven by the money and his own self-interest. He assumes everyone else thinks the same, and those who do not, are stupid, and based on his previous and current words, they are weak and irrelevant.

Why is Hungary a member of the EU and NATO? Is it because it suits Putin. His man, Orban is at the table where he can delay and veto decisions.

Another simple question, why did Orban travel to Mar Lago to meet with Trump, why should Trump meet with Orban? Conclusion, to exchange information, and to do Putin’s will, which was to send a message to the outside world, funding for Ukraine will end when Trump is re-elected.

Let us pause for a moment and assume Trump is re-elected. He stops all military support for Ukraine, along with Europe and NATO. Let us follow through on Trump’s assumption. This allows for the real opportunity for Putin to storm through Ukraine in a 21^st century blitzkrieg following which, the state of Ukraine no longer exist as it is becomes part of the new greater Russia.

Having achieved his stated objective, namely Putin’s domination and removal of Ukraine, which of the Baltic states, or any other state that borders with Russia will be next.

Should this happen, here are a series of potential scenarios to be considered.

What if Ukraine is a decoy? A means to an end, if so What end? Conflict with NATO, or worse still WW3?

Does Putin believe he can destroy NATO and expand the new Russian empire? Probably yes, and he has no problem about creating a nuclear Armageddon.

or

Putin attacks a member of NATO to test the reaction, if its war, he is ready, if it is delay and negotiate, Putin also wins.

I doubt very much of Putin would find many allies to commit to WW3.

There are several established facts we must never forget about Putin. He can’t be trusted. Russia, and therefore Putin, is always the victim. Everyone else is guilty except him. Anything and everything can be used as a weapon against his real or perceived enemies. He feels neither guilt nor compassion.

Who does that remind you of? 

Donald J Trump. He is the past master of deflecting blame and responsibility onto his accusers and enemies. He is always right. He is always the victim.

If Orban is Putin’s European courier, who is Putin’s American courier? Could it be Elon Musk? Both Orban and Musk have visited Trump in the last 7 days.  Musk, through third parties, is supplying Russia with Starlink GSP equipment. Russia is on the banned list for US companies. One must assume as one of the richest men in the world Musk is also driven by self-interest and the mighty money.

Whatever happens is the next 12 months – after the US elections, we had better prepare for a rough ride.

Российские спецслужбы установили причастность военной разведки Украины к теракту в «Крокус сити холле» в подмосковном Красногорске, произошедшем в марте текущего года. Об этом заявил директор ФСБ Александр Бортников на заседании Национального антитеррористического комитета (НАК)

«Украинские и западные спецслужбы расширяют круг возможных исполнителей, вербуемых для совершения в России резонансных преступлений, оказывают содействие в их подготовке и оснащении международным террористическим организациям. Показательным примером является установленная нами причастность военной разведки Украины к теракту в подмосковном “Крокус сити холле», – утверждает Бортников, слова которого приводят украинские СМИ.

Кроме того, председатель НАК отметил, что «противник при поддержке США и других стран НАТО наращивает усилия по совершению терактов и диверсий на территории России, пытаясь ослабить ресурсную поддержку российской армии и спровоцировать панические настроения среди населения». «Не прекращаются попытки проникновения в приграничные с Украиной регионы неонацистских вооруженных формирований и диверсионно-разведывательных групп. Они осуществляют поиск и вербовку исполнителей резонансных преступлений, в том числе среди трудовых мигрантов», – сообщили в НАК.

В НАК также сообщили, что с начала проведения «специальной военной операции» , то есть с 2022 года, правоохранительными органами на стадиях приготовления предотвращено 134 террористических преступления.

«Пресечена деятельность 32 ячеек международных террористических организаций, не допущено совершение 8 терактов на государственных объектах и в местах массового пребывания людей, подготовку которых осуществляли выходцы из стран Центрально-Азиатского региона», – утверждают в НАК.

По словам председателя НАК Александра Бортникова, подобные ячейки состояли преимущественно из мигрантов из Центральной Азии. «Их участниками осуществлялась подготовка террористических актов в местах массового пребывания людей, на объектах органов власти, военной инфраструктуры и религиозных организаций», – сказал он.

Вечером 22 марта несколько мужчин, вооруженных автоматами, ворвались в концертный зал «Крокус сити холл» в подмосковном Красногорске и открыли огонь. В помещении начался пожар. По последним данным, в результате теракта в подмосковном «Крокус Сити Холле» погибли 144 человека, пострадало более 500.

На веб-сайте агентства «Анадолу» в укороченном виде публикуется лишь часть новостей, которые предоставляются абонентам посредством Системы ленты новостей (HAS) АА.