Former CIA deputy director Mike Morell thinks the US should be very concerned about new support the Islamic State jihadist group is receiving from radicals in North African countries.
According to a Reuters report on Monday, Egypt's most active militant group, Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, released an audio clip last week swearing allegiance to the Islamic State (also known as ISIS or ISIL). Morell told "CBS This Morning" another group in Libya did the same thing.
"It's not only this group in Egypt; there's also a group in Libya that’s done the same thing," Morell said. "So, this is the first two times that terrorist groups in other parts of the world have given their allegiance to ISIS. I think this is a very big deal."
Morell further warned the groups in Libya and Egypt may soon start attempting to take territory, as the Islamic State has already done in Iraq and Syria.
"It shows the popularity of the group," he said. "It shows the spread of its influence. And what you’ll see as a result is these groups trying to mimic ISIS. So what you’ll see is these groups trying to take territory in the weeks and months ahead."