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Al-Qaeda gearing up for US attack

06 February 2008 11:16 (UTC +04:00)

In an annual threat assessment, US intelligence reported that it had detected an influx of new western recruits to Al-Qaeda safe havens in Pakistanâ€™s federally administrative tribal areas since 2006.
"Al-Qaeda is improving the last key aspect of its ability to attack the US- the identification, training, and positioning of operatives for an attack in the Homeland," the report said.
"We assess that Al-Qaedaâ€™s Homeland plotting is likely to continue to focus on prominent political, economic, and infrastructure targets designed to produce mass casualties, visually dramatic destruction, significant economic aftershocks, and/or fear among the population," it said.
US intelligence chief Mike McConnell, who delivered the report to Congress, said US intelligence also saw threats to the United States emanating from Al-Qaeda in Iraq and from homegrown terrorists inspired by military Islamic ideology.
But Al-Qaedaâ€™s central leadership, based in the border areas of Pakistan, "is its most dangerous component," his report said.
It noted that in July the intelligence community warned that Al-Qaedaâ€™s leadership has over the past two years been able "to regenerate the core operational capabilities needed to conduct attacks in the Homeland."
It is using safe havens in the tribal areas "as a staging area for training new terrorist operatives, for attacks in Pakistan, the Middle East, Africa, Europe and the United States," the report said.
A cadre of skilled lieutenants operating from the tribal areas are capable of directing operations around the world, it said.
"Al-Qaedaâ€™s top leaders Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri continue to be able to maintain Al-Qaedaâ€™s unity and its focus on their strategic vision of confronting our allies and us with mass casualty attacks around the globe," it said.
Although not involved in day to day operations, bin Laden and Zawahiri regularly pass inspirational messages and specific operational guidance to their followers through public statements, the assessment said.
McConnell said Al-Qaeda in Iraq has suffered major setbacks at the hands of US forces, but remains Al-Qaedaâ€™s most capable affiliate.
"I am increasingly concerned that as we inflict significant damage on Al-Qaeda in Iraq, it may shift resources to mounting more attacks outside of Iraq," he said.
Captured documents suggest that fewer than 100 AQI terrorist have moved from Iraq to establish cells in other countries, he said.
"It will probably continue to devote some effort towards honoring Bin Ladenâ€™s request in 2005 that AQI attempt to strike the United States, affirmed publicly by current AQI leader Abu Ayyub al-Masri in a November 2006 threat against the White House," McConnell said.
The admiral also expressed concerns about other Al-Qaeda affiliates in northern Africa and Lebanon.
Al-Qaeda in the Lands of the Islamic Maghreb, the most active group in northwestern Africa, "represents a significant threat to US and European interests in the region," he said in the report.
"Over the next year, attacks by â€˜homegrownâ€™ extremists inspired by military Islamic ideology but without operational direction from Al-Qaeda will remain a threat to the United States or against US interests overseas," he said.
"Our European allies regularly tell us that they are uncovering new extremist networks in their countries," McConnell said.
"While the threat from such homegrown extremists is greater in Europe, the US is not immune," it said.
He said plots uncovered in New Jersey and Illinois this year "highlights the diverse threat posed by Homeland-based radical Muslims inspired by extremist ideology." /APA/