A Texas Republican lawmaker is pressing the Department of Homeland Security to evaluate potential terrorist threats to the United States from Syria given the evolving political dynamics in the country after the fall of the regime of longtime leader Bashar Assad in late 2024.
Rep. Morgan Luttrell said he is introducing legislation, first shared with The Washington Times, that would require DHS to assess the threat posed by individuals in Syria with ties to Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO) or a Specially Designated Global Terrorist Organization (STGT).
The proposed Syria Terrorism Threat Assessment Act comes two months after Syrian opposition rebel groups launched a surprise offensive to topple the Assad regime, which had has ruled the country for more than five decades, forcing Mr. Assad to flee the country for exile in Russia.
Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, an Islamist group that once had ties to al Qaeda and is listed by the U.S. government as a terrorist organization, led the offensive and an HTS leader is now the de facto head of the new government in Damascus. The U.S. and other governments that long shunned Mr. Assad have reached out to the new Syrian leaders, but the new government’s policies have yet to become clear.
Mr. Luttrell said his bill will require DHS to “identify threats, close vulnerabilities, and strengthen counterterrorism efforts” in an effort to prevent attacks on the U.S. and protect American lives. The concern is foreign jihadist networks that seek to infiltrate the U.S., exploiting online platforms and other means to remotely recruit, radicalize, and mobilize individuals to help plan and carry out terrorist attacks on American soil.
“The threat of terrorism has not disappeared — it has evolved,” he said. “Syria has become a hotspot for radical extremists who want to do us harm, and they’re using every tool at their disposal to recruit, radicalize and send bad actors our way. We can’t sit back and wait for another attack.”
• Lindsey McPherson can be reached at lmcpherson@washingtontimes.com.