Royce: No ‘credible planning’ for attack before 9/11 anniversary

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-Calif.) on Monday said the United States doesn’t have intelligence indicating there are any active plans for a terrorist attack ahead of the 9/11 anniversary.

“No, we don’t have any information about credible planning for an attack,” Royce said in an interview on CNN’s “New Day.” 

Obama is scheduled to deliver a speech on Wednesday to make the case for an expanded military strategy against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). The 13th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks is on Thursday.

{mosads}Although the U.S. hasn’t detected any specific threats, Royce warned there are “several thousand Europeans” who are fighting for ISIS who would be able to enter the United States. 

ISIS’s base of operations must be eliminated, regional players must participate in the fight against the group, and NATO partners must join the coalition, Royce said. 

“We certainly are not going to support U.S. infantry on the ground,” he said. “We are afraid of a quagmire — that’s why we don’t want U.S. infantry — we are tired of those in the region not carrying the burden.”

The Republican said he and the top Democrat on his committee, Rep. Elliot Engel (D-N.Y), have been urging the administration to expand U.S. airstrikes to Syria and to arm Syrian rebels.  

“I don’t think any of us know how long this would take,” Royce said about the duration of the military campaign, but he expressed optimism ISIS could be downgraded once Kurdish forces, Iraqi security forces and Syrian rebels are armed.