NEW YORK — On Monday, Saritha Komatireddy, a former federal prosecutor and member of the Joint Terrorism Taskforce in New York, and candidate for New York Attorney General, released the following statement following the attempted terrorist attack in New York.

“On Saturday, Islamic extremists committed a terrorist attack in New York by throwing IEDs towards a crowd. As a federal terrorism prosecutor, I spent my career putting extremists like this in supermax prison. As Attorney General, I would surge state resources to the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, ensure our partners have everything they need to bring federal charges, and stand ready to support them with state charges.

“And I would not stop there. Twenty-five years after 9/11, Islamic extremism is alive and well in New York, and it must be addressed. 

“For years, individuals in New York have openly advocated for the designated terrorist organization Hamas. And for years, the Attorney General has allowed violence, vandalism, and intimidation connected to these movements to be ignored, minimized, or go unpunished. Small acts of violence without consequences lead to larger ones.

“Speech is constitutionally protected. Violence is not.

“The fact that the Mayor cannot immediately call out terrorism for what it is, and the Attorney General is totally silent, is a problem. It emboldens attackers and eliminates any confidence that these politicians can effectively combat and control Islamic extremism in New York. 

“The Attorney General’s job is simple: protect every New Yorker, regardless of race, religion, or politics, and pursue criminals evenhandedly, regardless of race, religion, or politics. That means calling out the problem, confronting it directly, and prosecuting criminals without hesitation.”

To learn more about Saritha Komatireddy’s campaign for New York Attorney General, visit SarithaForNewYork.com. 

###