News / Foreign Policy

CIA ‘knew’ Daesh plans were underway

Monday, 16 November 2015 10:00 PM [ Last Update: Thursday, 19 November 2015 9:33 PM ]

CIA director John Brennan is seen in a video grab while speaking at the opening session of the Global Security Forum 2015 in Washington, DC on November 16, 2015.

CIA director John Brennan says the spy agency “knew” Daesh terrorists were planning to attack “Europe in particular.”

Brennan, who rarely appears in public, made the remarks at the opening session of the Global Security Forum 2015 in Washington, DC, on Monday in the wake of the Paris attacks, claimed by Daesh Takfirs, which left more than 130 dead and 350 injured.

The CIA chief said the late Friday shooting and bombing spree was “not a surprise” as "We knew that plans or plotting by ISIL was underway looking at Europe in particular as a venue for carrying out these attacks."

*People gather at the Place de la Republique square on November 16, 2015 in Paris before a minute of silence to pay tribute to victims of the attacks claimed by Daesh. (AFP)*

"This was not something done in a matter of days. This is something that was carefully and deliberately planned over the course of several months in terms of whether they had the operatives, the weapons, explosives, suicide belts,” Brennan said, at the even run by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), an influential American think tank based in Washington.

He added that he expecting more attacks by Daesh terrorists “in the pipeline,” calling the deadly Paris attacks not a "one-off event."

"I would anticipate that this is not the only operation ISIL has in the pipeline….it’s not going to content itself with violence inside of the Syrian and Iraqi borders."

The top spy said the goal of the Daesh militants is killing, which is “pure and simple.”

Brennan also referred to the Takfiris’ use of social media, saying they "attract people under the false banner of religion."

According to the White House correspondent for French television network Canal+, Brennan met with French intelligence (DGSE) director Bernard Bajolet prior to the deadly attack in Paris.

During a live interview with MSNBC’s Brian Williams on Friday, Laura Haim said that Brennan and Bajolet took part in the Center for Cyber and Homeland Security panel on October 29 along with former UK MI6 Chief John Sawers and former Israeli National Security Advisor Yaacov Amidror.

"Security and intelligence services right now are working feverishly to see what else they can do in terms of uncovering it," Brennan said during his speech.

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