North Austin News

U.S. Congressman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) recently appeared on ABC's "This Week" with George Stephanopoulos to discuss pressing issues such as the New Orleans terror attack and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Addressing the current threat environment, McCaul noted a rising danger. "I think it's a rising threat," he said, reflecting on his tenure as chairman of the Homeland Security Committee. He linked the New Orleans case to online radicalization, expressing concern over the suspect's travels to Egypt and involvement with rare bomb-making materials not available in the U.S. He compared this situation to that of the Boston bomber.

McCaul also expressed concerns about increased terror threats following what he described as a failed withdrawal from Afghanistan. "The other thing, George, I'm very worried about, is with the fall of Afghanistan and the debacle," he stated, mentioning a resurgence of ISIS and ISIS-K in regions between Afghanistan and Pakistan. He highlighted two types of threats: operational attacks and internet-inspired radicalization.

Regarding international relations, McCaul spoke on what he termed an "unholy alliance" involving Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea. "The fact is, George," he remarked, emphasizing Putin's alliances with China's Chairman Xi and Iran's Ayatollah while noting Kim Jong-Un’s military support for Russia against Ukraine.

Discussing Ukraine further, McCaul criticized what he perceives as inadequate leverage provided by the Biden administration in negotiations to end the war. He stressed that any agreement must have enforceable terms to prevent future invasions by Russia. Referring to past agreements like Budapest Agreements where Ukraine gave up nuclear weapons for security assurances that were not honored, McCaul underscored NATO’s importance as an ally.

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