The sophistication, wealth, and military might of Islamic State (IS) militants represents a major threat to the United States that surpasses that once posed by al Qaeda, U.S. military leaders said today (August 21, 2014), according to the Reuters website.
"They are an imminent threat to every interest we have, whether it's in Iraq or anywhere else," Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told reporters at the Pentagon today.
Hagel's assessment of Islamic State -- which gained strength during Syria's civil war and swept into Iraq this summer -- sounded a note of alarm after the group posted a video this week showing one of its fighters beheading an American hostage.
Asked if the hardline Sunni Muslim organization posed a threat to the United States comparable to that of the attacks of September 11, 2001, Hagel said it was "as sophisticated and well-funded as any group we have seen." He added, "They are beyond just a terrorist group. They marry ideology, a sophistication of ...military prowess. They are tremendously well-funded. This is beyond anything we've seen."
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