Washington – The United States is “on guard” for terrorist attacks “emanating” out of war-torn Libya, FBI Director Robert Mueller has said.
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The assessment came a day after the FBI confirmed that it was contacting Libyan nationals living in and visiting the US in an effort to “determine whether there is a threat to Americans”.
Mueller, testifying before the House Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies, said that the US is also prepared for Libyan operatives who “may well” be in the country after crossing the Mexico or Canada border.
“We also want to make certain that we are on guard [for] the possibility of terrorist attacks emanating somewhere out of Libya, whether it be Gaddafi’s forces or, in eastern Libya, the opposition forces who may have amongst them persons who in the past have had associations with terrorist groups,” Fox News quoted Mueller, as saying.
He also noted that “there may be intelligence officers that are operating with different types of cover in the US.”
“We want to make certain that we’ve identified these individuals to ensure no harm comes from them, knowing they may well have been associated with the Gaddafi regime,” he added.