POMPEO: We Must Stand Firm Against Terrorism at Home and Around the World

Islamist terrorism is back at the forefront of our attention in a way it hasn’t been in nearly a decade. In just the past week alone, we saw 16 innocent people murdered at a Hanukkah party in Australia by ISIS-inspired terrorists; two American soldiers and a translator killed by an ISIS gunman in Syria; and an apparent jihadist plot to attack a Christmas market in Germany (thankfully) foiled.

Given these developments, it’s natural to wonder: Is jihadist terrorism undergoing a revival? Has the West been too complacent – and are we prepared for the threats that face us today?

The fact is, the warning signs have been flashing red for some time. The Sahel region of Africa has become the global epicenter of terrorism, while powerful Islamic State and al Qaeda affiliates also terrorize large swathes of West Africa and the Horn of Africa. Thanks to the Biden Administration’s catastrophic withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Taliban is back in power and is as friendly as ever with al Qaeda. While ISIS has not been able to reconstitute the caliphate that we destroyed in President Trump’s first term, it remains a formidable and determined international menace.

In the West, terrorist groups have used October 7 as a powerful recruiting tool and justification for new attacks. Under the banner of fighting Israel’s (fictional) genocide in Gaza, they can proceed to do what they love doing most: killing Jews. Remember: When people say they want to “globalize the intifada,” this is what they mean.

Clarity about the nature of this threat, both at home and abroad, is critical. When politicians like Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese are too squeamish to call out the antisemitic, jihadist motives of these terrorists – let alone tackle the problem of radical Islamism – their weakness invites future atrocities.

We must continue to invest in world-class intelligence operations to foil attacks at home and abroad and use all the tools at our disposal to combat and contain the spread of jihadist terrorism. Terrorists and their supporters must know that attacking Americans or our allies will bring swift and overwhelming consequences. 

We should also stand unequivocally with our allies, especially Israel, which fought and won a seven-front existential war against Iran’s web of terrorist proxies in the Middle East. The entire civilized world is the beneficiary of Israel’s sacrifices in this war, and we owe them a debt of gratitude.

Together with Israel, we must finish the job of disempowering the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism: Iran. The Islamic Republic has been severely weakened, but is doing everything in its power, with the help of its friends in Moscow and Beijing, to recover. We must ramp up the pressure to ensure that this never happens.

Finally, the free world must be crystal clear that murdering innocent civilians is never justified and show our Jewish communities that we will always do what is necessary to protect their right to live without fear. To their great shame, Australian authorities have long ignored the growing threat of violent antisemitism in their country and the pleas of their Jewish community to take it seriously; I pray that their government and the entire free world take a good look at this problem and commit the resources needed to protect all citizens from terrorism.