The fall of the so-called Islamic State caliphate is only partial because the group has spread its influence beyond Iraq and Syria, CIA Director Mike Pompeo said on Thursday.
“It would be foolish to predict there’s going to be no son of ISIS,” Pompeo said at the National Security Summit organized by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
“This threat from radical Islamic terrorism is real. The fall of the caliphate is great news. It is a historic achievement, but it is partial at best,” he added.
The CIA head noted that the terror group continues to operate in the Philippines, Southeast Asia, and other regions, and still has the capacity to control and influence people around the world.
“ISIS capacity to conduct external operations remains,” Pompeo said. “The intent still remains, the capability remains, and we worry too that there is capability that we just don’t see.”
In the recent months, ISIS has lost its major strongholds in Iraq and Syria, including Mosul and the caliphate’s self-declared capital, Raqqa.