FBI Thwarts Multiple ISIS-Inspired Attacks During Fourth Of July Holiday: FBI Director

The FBI managed to thwart multiple terror attacks by making dozens of arrests in the past four weeks, FBI director James Comey said. The director added that the bureau had discovered terror attack plots during the Fourth of July holiday weekend.

Comey said that the FBI may have disrupted efforts to kill people during a talk with reporters at FBI headquarters in Washington. At least 10 people have been arrested over the last four weeks, Comey said, noting that the arrested parties had allegedly planned to launch attacks against the United States earlier in July. The director, however, refused to elaborate on the nature of attacks the suspects had been planning to carry out.

It was speculated that there could be ISIS-inspired attacks either during the Islamic month of Ramadan or during the holidays. "It's actually hard to figure out when they're trying to kill somebody," Comey said, according to NBC News. "And you cannot say, 'Well, we've got to do it on the Fourth. Because you know you have people who are motivated to kill people, and they are unreliable in terms of when they're going to act."

President Obama earlier said that there had been progress in fighting ISIS terrorists. Newsweek reported that the Middle Eastern terrorist group had increased its online activity to recruit more people. It has started asking its supporters to launch attacks however and whenever possible.

Obama said that it would not be possible to beat terrorist groups like ISIS with weapons only. "The strong consensus is that in order for us to succeed long-term in this fight against (ISIS), we have to develop local security forces that can sustain progress. It is not enough for us to simply send in American troops to temporarily set back organizations like (ISIS), but then as soon as we leave see that void filled again by extremists," Obama said during a press conference earlier this week.

The president added that ideologies were defeated by better ideas, not by guns. He added that America would never be at war with Islam.