How is the U.S. responding?

Amid growing pressure from lawmakers and victims, the Biden administration has vowed to step up the investigation. CIA Director William Burns, who was queried about the attacks during his confirmation hearings, has met with victims and established a task force on the attacks. The Pentagon and State Department each have their own task forces, and the White House says it’s coordinating the agencies’ studies. Leaders “across the intelligence community” are “focused on this issue,” said Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines. With the attacks causing growing anxiety among U.S. diplomats and soldiers around the world, “it is absolutely critical that we find out who did this,” said Polymeropoulos. “The idea of dismissing it outright is just not acceptable anymore.”