In an era where national security threats feel as omnipresent as your morning coffee, few voices cut through the noise like Laura Loomer's. The far-Right activist and self-proclaimed investigative journalist, dropped a bombshell on X over the weekend, claiming an "Urgent Intelligence Alert" from the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) confirms Al Qaeda operatives are embedded in U.S. cities, plotting multi-city terror attacks complete with fake first-responder uniforms and hospital sabotage. It's the kind of post that racks up retweets faster than a viral cat video, over 2 million impressions in 48 hours, but is it grounded in reality?
Start with what's verifiable. On September 19, 2025, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) released a public intelligence bulletin echoing longstanding concerns about Al Qaeda's intent to strike the U.S. homeland. The five-page memo, shared with law enforcement and first responders, highlights how Al Qaeda and its Yemen-based affiliate, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), are leveraging online propaganda and global conflicts (like U.S. involvement in the Middle East) to inspire lone-wolf or small-cell attacks. Key takeaways include:
Persistent Threat Level: Al Qaeda remains "determined" to hit soft targets, particularly large gatherings like sports events, music festivals, and transportation hubs. The bulletin urges heightened vigilance but stops short of declaring "imminent" plots.
Inspirational Tactics: Groups are using media to radicalise individuals, with a focus on U.S. foreign policy as a rallying cry. No mention of embedded cells or coordinated operations.
General Precautions: Advice includes avoiding public displays of government affiliation, not sharing travel plans online, and staying alert for surveillance, standard post-9/11 fare.
This aligns with the broader 2025 Homeland Threat Assessment from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which flags "evolving terrorist threats" from jihadist groups amid border security debates and overseas instability. NCTC Director Joe Kent, in a follow-up statement, emphasised the agency's 24/7 monitoring, citing recent disruptions like a June 2025 ISIS cell in Tajikistan as proof of proactive work. Notably, the report refers to Al Qaeda as "violent extremists" rather than "Islamic terrorists," drawing fire from conservatives who see it as PC sanitisation reminiscent of the Obama era.
In short: Al Qaeda is a live threat. No, it's not a breaking "first time" acknowledgment, these bulletins drop quarterly. The real alert is measured, not the panic button Loomer describes.
Loomer's September 20 X thread amps this up to DEFCON 1. Citing anonymous "sources" from a "classified briefing to congressional leaders and leaked today," she alleges Al Qaeda has "infiltrated U.S. soil" with cells in major cities, backed by intercepted comms, financial tracks, and human intel. The juicy bits? Terrorists buying bulk police/EMT uniforms in five states (via CCTV and credit card flags) to impersonate responders, sow chaos, and hit hospitals in New York, L.A., Chicago, Houston, and Miami, creating a "second wave" of deaths by denying care. She paints a 9/11-scale nightmare: simultaneous urban guerrilla strikes on soft targets, with attackers blending into the panic.
This went viral: General Michael Flynn amplified it, Newsmax ran a breathless piece, and sites like Blabber and Conservative Firing Line called it "catastrophic." X chatter echoes the alarm, with users linking it to "chatter" in cities like Louisiana and speculating on false flags.
So, hype? Absolutely, in the delivery. Loomer's post is engineered for outrage, emojis, all-caps, "horrific beyond comprehension," turning a routine threat assessment into a sleeper-cell apocalypse.
But is there something to it? Unequivocally yes. Al Qaeda isn't dormant; Afghanistan's Taliban haven has revived them, per DNI reports. The 2025 assessment warns of "dynamic" threats, and post-9/11 history (Boston Marathon, Pulse nightclub) shows inspired attacks thrive on chaos. Uniform impersonation? It's a known tactic: think Mumbai 2008 or the 2024 Trump rally scare. Hospital targeting? Plausible for maximum disruption, echoing ISIS plays in Syria. If Loomer's sources are real, it could be a genuine leak warranting scrutiny.
but we will just have to see.
https://x.com/LauraLoomer/status/1969234650255053168
"Urgent Intelligence Alert: NCTC Confirms Al Qaeda Presence on U.S. Soil, Imminent Multi-City Islamic Terror Attacks
Sources tell me tonight that the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) has officially determined that Islamic terrorists affiliated with Al Qaeda have infiltrated U.S. soil and are actively planning a series of coordinated Islamic terror attacks. This marks the first time federal counterterrorism officials have openly acknowledged the immediacy of such threats, signaling a potential escalation in domestic jihadist activity not seen since the height of ISIS-inspired plots in the mid-2010s.
According to NCTC's latest assessment, shared in a classified briefing to congressional leaders and leaked today, Al Qaeda cells, emboldened by the group's resurgence in Afghanistan and the North and Central Africa, have embedded themselves across major urban centers in the US. This has been confirmed intercepted communications, financial tracking, and human intelligence. Sources tell me this is a sophisticated operation aimed at maximizing casualties and chaos.
Indicators of Preparation: Uniforms, Hospitals, and Deception Tactics
My sources tell me the attack strategy by Al Qaeda is designed to sow confusion and cripple emergency response. These terrorists have been purchasing large quantities of police and first-responder uniforms from surplus outlets and online vendors in at least five states. These acquisitions, traced through bulk credit card anomalies and CCTV footage, suggest a plan to impersonate law enforcement during the assaults—allowing attackers to blend in, direct panicked crowds, or even execute secondary strikes on fleeing victims.
My sources tell me the Al Qaeda terror attack plans in the US are focused on hospitals and medical facilities. NCTC even has evidence that these terrorists are "scoping" emergency rooms, trauma centers, and triage points in cities like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, and Miami. The intent appears clear: disrupt healthcare infrastructure to prevent treatment of the wounded, effectively creating a "second wave" of fatalities through denial of care.
In the event of an attack, civilians could face a nightmarish scenario where friend and foe are indistinguishable, with medics overwhelmed and no safe haven for the injured. The potential for hundreds, if not thousands, of additional deaths in the chaos is described by one DHS source as "horrific beyond comprehension."
The plot's scale points to simultaneous strikes across multiple cities, echoing Al Qaeda's historical ambitions for mass casualty operations like 9/11 but adapted for urban guerrilla tactics. Targets could include soft sites such as crowded events, transportation hubs, and public gatherings.
We are under attack.
Al Qaeda Islamic terrorists disguised as first responders are planning to attack US cities and our hospitals.
Where are our lawmakers to address this growing threat of Islamic terror in the US?"