The horrific slaughter of 12 people by masked Islamic extremists in Paris should serve as a "wakeup call" to Americans that law enforcement must be allowed to gather intelligence in mosques — or face similar attacks, Rep. Peter King told
Newsmax TV on Wednesday.
"The fact that we face an enemy that's going to be with us is as far as I can see. These are vicious, unprincipled animals, and they . . . try to find ways to attack Western civilizations, attack Judeo-Christian civilizations," King said on "The Steve Malzberg Show."
Story continues below video.
Note: Watch Newsmax TV now on DIRECTV Ch. 349 and DISH Ch. 223
Get Newsmax TV on your cable system – Click Here Now
"What we saw in Paris is we have to be on guard completely. Two years ago, the president was telling us that al-Qaida was on the run and how strong of a position we were in. The fact is, in many ways, it's more dangerous than ever."
King's warning came hours after gunmen executed 11 people inside and one police officer outside the offices of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, which in the past had published controversial cartoons about the Prophet Muhammad.
King, a New York Republican who is a member of the House Homeland Security Committee and chairman of the House Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence, said the White House has sent mixed messages about the right to free speech versus judgment in publishing material that mocks religion.
"It sends a terrible message, especially when the party on the other side is Islamic terrorism," he said.
"When you have Islamist terrorists threatening to kill people and threatening to take away free speech, you should say nothing critical of the media and the journalists who are writing, whether you agree with them or not.
"This president sends mixed signals. He takes one step forward and one step sideways, if not backwards, and it's a very mixed message, which confuses our allies and it emboldens our enemies."
King said that while Americans must be "legitimately concerned" by what happened in Paris, that concern can be channeled into action.
"I will use the New York City Police Department as an example. After 9/11, they put in the best counter-terrorism force possible in the world. They did, and yet they were criticized by the New York Times, the Associated Press, Bill de Blasio when he ran for election to mayor," King said.
"It was considered profiling and it was considered racism — the fact that we would actually be looking into the Muslim community to see whether or not there was any terrorists when we know that's where they're coming from.
"All the more reason why it's so important to have intelligence and surveillance . . . The only chance you have where the odds are with you to stop a terrorist attack is if you have prior intelligence."
That, King said, requires law enforcement's using informants and undercover cops to go into mosques, coffee houses and other gathering places to gather information.
"It has to be done in France and here, otherwise the same type of attack is going to happen, and yet we keep weakening the police," he said.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.