The Islamic State (ISIS) must be vanquished or they will eventually strike on U.S. soil, says retired CIA field commander Gary Berntsen.
"We are at war with ISIS. They will attack the Europeans and the United States in dynamic ways," Berntsen said Thursday on Fox News Channel's
"The Kelly File."
"We have got to be aggressive."
The longer the United States waits to assemble a coalition of ground forces to destroy ISIS, the more likely there will be catastrophic attacks on the Europeans and the United States, he said.
"These guys are ready for war. And it's just a matter of time. It's not if, it's going to be when," he said.
Berntsen said all elements of American power must be put to use, including the armed forces, intelligence community, public affairs, and law enforcement.
"Look, we are in a battle of civilizations," he said.
The number of Islamic jihadists has increased tenfold in the past decade, Berntsen said, and they have declared war on the West. They are seizing more territory and increasing in numbers in Iraq and Syria as well as in Nigeria.
"This battle with jihadists is on, and they will be attacking us," he said.
America has done a good job of preventing major homeland attacks since 9/11, but that can't last forever, Berntsen warned.
"Eventually we'll miss something, and eventually they'll slip something through," he said.
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