WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senior U.S. national security officials warned lawmakers on Wednesday that terrorist groups with roots in South Asia, particularly networks linked to Pakistan and Afghanistan, continue to pose a direct and evolving threat to the U.S. homeland.
Testifying before the House Homeland Security Committee, National Counterterrorism Center Director Joseph Kent said ISIS and al-Qaida remain active across South and Central Asia, with Afghanistan once again serving as a permissive environment for extremist activity.
“ISIS and al-Qaida have found sanctuary in places like Afghanistan,” Kent told lawmakers, pointing to the “transitional nature of those governments” and warning that instability in the region continues to generate threats extending far beyond its borders.
Kent said U.S. intelligence assessments indicate that terrorist groups with historical links to Pakistan and Afghanistan are increasingly relying on online propaganda, encrypted communications, and ideological messaging to inspire violence overseas, including inside the United States.
“The new terrorist tactic that we’re seeing more and more is moving away from very deliberate cellular attacks… into an inspirational methodology,” Kent said, describing how individuals radicalized by overseas groups may act independently without direct operational guidance.
FBI National Security Branch Operations Director Michael Glasheen echoed those concerns, telling the committee that international terrorist organizations tied to ISIS and al-Qaida remain among the most immediate threats facing the U.S., even when attacks are carried out by lone actors.
“Some international terrorists are people located and radicalized to violence primarily inside the United States,” Glasheen said, adding that such individuals are “inspired to commit violence by foreign terrorist organizations such as ISIS and al-Qaida.”
Kent also linked South Asia–origin threats to vetting challenges following the U.S. evacuation from Afghanistan, saying authorities had identified individuals admitted under emergency programs who later showed ties to terrorist organizations.
“These are individuals who under normal circumstances would never be allowed to enter our country because of their ties to jihadi groups like ISIS and al-Qaida,” he said.
The warnings came during a hearing that later escalated into sharp political exchanges, including a tense confrontation between Indian American Congressman Shri Thanedar and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
Thanedar accused Noem of misleading Congress on immigration enforcement and compliance with court orders. “Secretary Noem, you lied to me under oath that day,” he said, pressing her on claims that U.S. citizens had not been detained by immigration agents.
Noem denied the accusation, saying, “The Department of Homeland Security and this administration complies with all federal court orders. We always have and we always will.” She added that DHS had “never once detained — or deported — an American citizen,” noting that individuals may be briefly held until their identity is verified.
The exchange grew increasingly heated, with Thanedar saying, “I am sick of your lies. The American people demand truth,” and asking whether Noem would resign if not dismissed. Noem responded, “I will consider your asking me to resign as an endorsement of my work.”
The House Homeland Security Committee was created after the September 11, 2001, attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people. U.S. officials continue to warn that instability in South Asia — particularly Afghanistan and Pakistan-linked terror networks — remains closely tied to global and domestic security risks, even as the nature of terrorism continues to evolve. (Source: IANS)
