McCaul Statement on Hostage Situation in Australia

Statement

Today, U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement on the hostage situation in Sydney, Australia:

Chairman McCaul: "What we've witnessed in Sydney should be a call to action for the United States and all our allies who have been threatened by violent Islamist extremists. We all face dual threats: terrorists who are seeking to enter the country to conduct attacks and from terrorists who are recruited and radicalized internally. The United States must wage a robust effort here at home to combat violent Islamist extremism by working with local communities to intervene when we see signs of it, fighting against online Islamist propaganda, and providing ways to stop individuals lured into the "jihadi cool' subculture before they act. My prayers go out to the hostages in Sydney and to our friends in Australia, and my thanks go out to the men and women who worked to stop this disturbed individual."

Chairman McCaul wrote about the importance of combating violent Islamist extremism in the U.S. in a Wall Street Journal op-ed, Islamic State Is Recruiting America's 'Jihadi Cool' Crowd. He is also leading a review of the Obama administration's strategy for countering domestic radicalization and a review of the administration's efforts to stop foreign terrorist fighters from returning to the United States.

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