Name: The status of ISIS following the Australian Hanukkah attack
Uploaded: 2025-12-17T01:09:20.616Z
Duration: 2 min 5 s
Description: CBS News national security contributor Samantha Vinograd breaks down the current state of ISIS following the deadly attack on an Australian Hanukkah celebration.

CBS News national security contributor Samantha Vinograd breaks down the current state of ISIS following the deadly attack on an Australian Hanukkah celebration.

Council of the City of Sydney

CBS News National Security Contributor Sam Beningrad stated that ISIS remains the largest global Islamic terrorist organization, despite losing its physical foothold in Iraq and Syria. The group has shifted its focus to supporting subsidiaries, particularly in Southeast Asia, and continues to inspire attacks worldwide, including the recent attack in Australia.

Beningrad emphasized that ISIS's global propaganda network remains active and influential, operating in multiple languages and targeting specific audiences. Ongoing investigations are examining the links between the Australian attackers and ISIS, as well as how these individuals evaded detection by intelligence services.

The status of ISIS following the Australian Hanukkah attack

CBS News National Security Contributor Sam Beningrad joins us now. Sam, what is the current status of ISIS as an organization? Well, Lindsey, ISIS remains the largest global Islamic terrorist organization in the world, and that's why ISIS has figured prominently in both classified and unclassified intelligence assessments circulated not just by the U.S. government, but by other governments. We know that ISIS lost its physical foothold in countries like Iraq and Syria, but what ISIS has turned to is really investing in its subsidiaries, including subsidiaries in Southeast Asia. We know that ISIS Khorasan has inspired attacks in the United States, and we now know that there was some affiliation between the individuals that perpetuated this heinous attack in Australia and ISIS itself. The extent of those links remain to be seen, but it is very clear that ISIS retains both the intent and the capability to direct and inspire attacks globally. What does the Bondi Beach attack say about the current reach of ISIS and its influence? It is very clear that ISIS retains a global reach, and that includes both actually investing in financially and with information entities in Southeast Asia, like in the Philippines and elsewhere throughout the region, but also its global propaganda network, multiple languages, curated propaganda to particular target audiences remains incredibly virulent, and that's why the global intelligence and law enforcement community has remained focused on ISIS. And there are many questions about how these individuals who were known to law enforcement at one time, they weren't indicted, but they were questioned by law enforcement, traveled to the Philippines, why there weren't red flags when they were returned, or when they, the father stockpiled multiple firearms. So ISIS retains its global reach, and there are many outstanding questions about how these individuals flew beneath the radar of Australian intelligence services in recent years. All right. Samantha Vinograd, thank you.

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