Hagel: ’Jihadists’ in Iraq Pose ’Imminent’ Threat to Middle East, Europe, US

Local Editor

US War Secretary Chuck Hagel said militants that have swept across Iraq pose a clear and "imminent" danger to the Middle East, Europe and the United States on Wednesday.

During a stop at a US naval submarine base in the state of Georgia, Hagel said of the militants that, "Make no mistake -- and this country should not make any mistake on this, nor anyone in Congress -- this is a threat to our country."

The extremist group "may not appear to be an imminent threat to the United States," but "it is a threat to the United States," Hagel said.

"And it is a threat to our allies all over the Middle East. It's a threat to Europe," he said at the base in King's Bay.

"It is a ... clear threat to our partners in that area, and it is imminent," he said, without elaborating.
"This is a force that is sophisticated, it's dynamic, it's strong, it's organized, it's well-financed, it's competent," Hagel told troops in remarks broadcast by the Pentagon.

After launching an offensive last month [June], the so-called Islamic State [IS] "jihadists" have overrun areas in five provinces north and west of Iraq's capital, Baghdad.

US President Barack Obama has sent military advisors to Baghdad to help, as he says, the Iraqi army counter the militants but has so far stopped short of ordering US air strikes against the "jihadists."

Furthermore US officials and experts fear the extremists, who are also fighting in in neighboring Syria, will carve out sanctuaries that could serve as training camps and launching pads for terror attacks on the West.

Sources: News Agencies, Edited by website team