White House press secretary Josh Earnest cautioned reporters against jumping to conclusions about reports that Islamic State terrorists were directly linked to the attack in Texas at a draw Muhammad cartoon contest.
“It’s too early to say at this point,” Earnest said, explaining that the intelligence community is still investigating whether the two attackers were linked to ISIS.
“I think before we make a pronouncement about anything like that, we certainly would want to make sure that we knew a whole lot more about the facts,” said Earnest, when asked if the attack was proof that ISIS was in the United States.
Earnest reminded reporters that a number of Americans were sympathetic to the views espoused by ISIS, and that it was more important than ever to minimize the threat that the group poses.
He praised local law officials for stopping the attack in Texas, describing it as “an attempted act of terror.”
“It’s because of the quick thinking and professionalism of local law enforcement in Texas that they were able to foil what appears to be an attempted terrorist attack,” he said.
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