Congressmen: Evidence points to ISIS in Russian plane crash

Reps. Peter King (R-N.Y.) and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) say new evidence almost certainly indicates the Islamic State in Syria (ISIS) brought down a Russian passenger plane.

“We’re almost ready to conclude that it was ISIS, that it was either ISIS or an ISIS affiliate,” King, a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, said on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday. “And to me, I think that is the general consensus among people I’ve spoken to in the intelligence community.”

Schiff concurred with his colleague’s assessment, pointing to “a growing body of intelligence and evidence that this was a bomb.”

The California lawmaker also suggested that ISIS likely had help from an airport worker to smuggle the bomb on board.

“And if that’s the case, I think there are probably at least a dozen airports in the region and beyond that are vulnerable to the same kind of approach, which is exactly why we have to harden those defenses,” Schiff, the ranking member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, continued.

King said President Obama will have to do more in the fight against the terrorist group, saying more robust ground forces will be necessary to make airstrikes in the region more effective.

A Russian Airbus A321 crashed last month in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, killing all 224 people on board.

The plane broke up at 33,000 feet, out of range of anti-air weaponry, indicating a bomb may have been placed on board before take-off.

ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack.