Feinstein: ISIS 'Will Try To Attack US Embassy' In Baghdad

Feinstein Believes ISIS ‘Will Try to Attack Our Embassy’ in Baghdad

August 31, 2014 - 1:43 PM - By Terence P. Jeffrey

CNSNews.com) - Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D.-Calif.) the chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday that U.S. intelligence in Syria “has not been good” and that she now believes the Islamic State in Iraq and al Sham (ISIS) terrorist group will “try to attack our embassy” in Baghdad.

“I think our intelligence in Syria has not been good for a number of reasons,” Feinstein said at one point during the interview.

“I believe it is on its way to Baghdad, and I believe that they will try to attack our embassy from the West, which is a Sunni area, where I believe they are infiltrating now,” she said of the ISIS terrorist group.

Host Andrea Mitchell asked Feinstein:  “The president back in January told the New Yorker Magazine, David Remnick, that ISIS is the J.V. team. That was clearly wrong.”

“Well, I think it is wrong, too,” said Feinstein. “I think it is a major varsity team--and, if you want to use those kinds of monikers.

“But I have seen nothing that compares with its vision and viciousness,” said Feinstein. “I have been on the intelligence committee now since before 9/11. And I have watched this evolution of non-state actors into world terror very carefully and closely. And this is really the first group that has the wherewithal in terms of financing, the fighting machine in terms of a structure, and heavy equipment, heavy explosives, the ability to move quickly.

“They crossed the border into Iraq before we even knew what happened,” said Feinstein. “So, this is a group of people who are extraordinarily dangerous and they will kill with abandon.”

Mitchell the asked: “Was that an intelligence failure or was the White House not listening to the community?”

“Well, I think our intelligence in Syria has not been good for a number of reasons,” said Feinstein. “But I do know that the breaking through of the borders was not known ahead of time.  I think a lot of that hopefully has been repaired now, and I think the intelligence community is well aware of the need to get up and running in a major way both in Iraq and in Syria.”

“And do we have to go to Syria to get at the root of ISIS?” asked Mitchell.

“Well, I don’t know exactly who was where when,” said Feinstein. “But there is no question that they have a home base in Syria. They have expanded that base now into Iraq. That part of it is a fighting base, and it is devoted to taking over cities.  It failed to hold the Mosul Dam, thank God.  I believe it is on its way to Baghdad, and I believe that they will try to attack our embassy from the West, which is a Sunni area, where I believe they are infiltrating now. “