Col. Harvey: Amount of 'Sympathy' for ISIS in US Disturbing

While officials are keeping close to the vest details of bolstered security at Los Angeles airports and throughout Southern California following purported threats of a terror attack by ISIS on uniformed personnel, retired Army Col. Derek Harvey explained Monday on Newsmax TV's "America's Forum" how that type of intelligence is often collected.

"Chatter, some innuendo (was) possibly picked up either in Internet chat or some intercepts of some voice communications likely suggesting an intent and aspiration and talking about a location," said Harvey, a former adviser to Gen. David Petraeus.

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Over the weekend, unnamed federal law enforcement officials confirmed a threat to Los Angeles International Airport, but declined to say if the threat was new and whether it was linked to the Islamic State (ISIS). The FBI was investigating.

The Transportation Security Administration has alerted California law enforcement agencies that provide security around airports about the threat, though CNN reported over the weekend that "the possible threat was not necessarily related to aviation."

There has been an ongoing threat to uniformed personnel and specific locations from lone actors, according to NBC News.

"Over the last few months, we have made a number of security adjustments, including enhanced screening at select overseas airports and increasing random searches of passengers and carry-on luggage on flights inbound to the U.S., reflecting an evolving threat picture," a Department of Homeland Security spokesman said.

The "amount of empathy and sympathy" for the Islamic State's objectives that resides in a number of U.S. communities is extremely concerning, Harvey said, pointing to vocal supporters who last week disrupted political activist Pamela Geller's speech at Brooklyn College with shouts of "Alhamdulillah" — thanks be to Allah — as Geller discussed acts of terror committed by ISIS.

"They will criticize the methods, they'll criticize the brutality, but some are unwilling to disassociate themselves from that agenda of the jihadist extremists that are driving the Islamic State, not only in Iraq and Syria, but in North Africa, South Asia, and elsewhere," he said.

"It's disheartening, especially when we have apologists for that type of extremism, attacking people that are just trying to enter into dialogue and explain the threats that are facing the country."