Former CIA Deputy Director Warns Terrorist Attack on U.S. Soil Inevitable

Former CIA Deputy Director and CBS News Senior Security Contributor Michael Morell said that a terrorist attack on U.S. soil, similar to the current hostage situation in Australia, is inevitable within the year.

"What concerns me the most is that we're going to see this kind of terrorism around the world, and we are going to see it here, Norah, we're going to see this kind of attack here," Morell told co-hosts Charlie Rose, Norah O'Donnell and Gayle King in an interview that was broadcast live on CBS THIS MORNING today, Dec. 15, 2014 on the CBS Television Network.

"We need to be prepared for that. It shouldn't surprise people when this happens here sometime over the next year or so, guaranteed."

When asked how the U.S. can prevent these attacks, Morell told CBS THIS MORNING, "It's very difficult to stop something like this. One way this happens is if ISIS leadership directs it, and intelligence agencies can often see that and prevent it. If people are vocal on social media about what they're going to do, you can often prevent it. But if they're quiet about it, it's easy to carry out something like this, very difficult to prevent it."

A partial transcript of the interview and full video clip follows:

CHARLIE ROSE: CBS Senior Security Contributor Mike Morell is a former CIA deputy director and he joins us from Washington. Good morning, Mike. Following what Clarissa said, what do you make of this incident?

MIKE MORELL: We don't know with certainty what is motivating this person, but it does appear that he is in some way motivated by ISIS. If that's the case, this is not surprising to me. ISIS has had a focus on Australia for some time. Some 300 Australians have gone to the Middle East to fight in that war. 70 or so are fighting for ISIS. Just a couple months ago the Australians did a countrywide raid arresting a number of people after a senior ISIS leader called for individuals in Australia to behead Australians in public for ISIS. So there is this focus on Australia.

ROSE: It's also an example of the long reach of the long tentacles of ISIS, is it not? Which gets more publicity for them around the world.

MORELL: Absolutely, Charlie.

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