Al-Qaeda Main Threat to U.S., Intel Report Says

By Jon Fox
Global Security Newswire

WASHINGTON — An unclassified version of the most recent U.S. National Intelligence Estimate on terrorism threats released today indicates that al-Qaeda will remain the most serious threat to the United States and that the group will continue attempts to acquire and deploy unconventional weapons (see GSN, July 13).

Key judgments in the document released by the national intelligence director’s office include the assessment that “the U.S. homeland will face a persistent and evolving threat over the next three years.”

The estimate, the most authoritative and up-to-date findings of the intelligence community, echo testimony from key intelligence officials in a recent open hearing before the House Armed Services Committee.

Deputy National Intelligence Director Thomas Fingar told lawmakers that while the United States continues to receive intelligence on al-Qaeda attempts to acquire chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear weapons, the use of conventional explosives constitutes the most likely scenario for an attack (see GSN, July 12).

In the document released today, the U.S. intelligence community reported that terrorists perceive the United States as a harder target to strike but that al-Qaeda is expected to intensify efforts to place operatives inside the country.

“As a result, we judge that the Unites States is currently in a heightened threat environment,” the summary of the estimate reads.

The report states that al-Qaeda “would not hesitate to use [weapons of mass destruction] if it develops what it deems is sufficient capability.”  The group is likely to continue to focus attacks on “prominent political, economic and infrastructure targets” that would produce mass casualties and “visually dramatic destruction.”

A White House fact sheet on the intelligence estimate says that since Sept. 11, 2001, the United States is “safer, but we are not yet safe.”

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