Story highlights Sen. Joni Ernst: ISIS is trying to expand farther than the Middle East

Latin America has become a prime place to recruit for Islamic extremists, she writes

Joni Ernst is a U.S. senator representing Iowa. The views expressed are her own.

(CNN) As the United States supports our allies and continues the fight for Mosul, we cannot ignore where ISIS will spread next. I am not alone in my fears that key leaders escaped the city before the major assault began -- especially considering the advance warning about our battle plans. More importantly, should we and our allies be successful in Mosul, and I have the utmost faith that we will be, I fear ISIS will continue retreating to its al Qaeda roots.

In the past, terrorist groups like al Qaeda have used the ability to expand globally as a way to increase their deadly and horrific acts of terror.

Joni Ernst

ISIS started with a different approach. Their self-proclaimed caliphate, a decreasing area of ISIS-held territory covering Iraq and Syria, has given the administration and Operation Inherent Resolve a clearer area of operations. This is a plot of land we appear to be using to measure our success.

Yet, using this new perspective is blinding us to the changing tactics and the spread of our Islamic extremist enemy. As the President prepares to travel to Peru this month, I want to be sure he goes there with the intent to address the growing threat of Islamic extremism in Latin America. ISIS's increased use of messaging in Spanish and Portuguese , and its calls for terror in Latin America should be a red flag to the administration.

In August, before President Obama's final trip to Asia, I criticized his failure to focus on the spread of ISIS in Southeast Asia. His administration agreed with me that ISIS in the region was an issue, and Secretary of Defense Carter later discussed some steps forward for counterterrorism efforts with defense ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations

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