Another attempted terrorist attack on the United States in coming months is “certain,” the heads of major U.S intelligence agencies told a Senate committee Tuesday.
Al Qaeda remains the top security threat to the United States, but a growing cybersecurity threat also must be addressed by the U.S. intelligence community, the heads of the CIA, the FBI and other agencies told the Senate Intelligence Committee.
Asked by committee chair Sen. Dianne Feinstein of the likelihood of another attempted terror attack on the United States in the next three to six months, the officials agreed with Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair’s initial answer of “certain.”
While none of the intelligence chiefs, who included CIA Director Leon Panetta, FBI Director Robert Mueller and others, cited a specific pending threat, their testimony made clear that an evolving al Qaeda remains their top concern.
“My greatest concern, and what keeps me awake at night, is that al Qaeda and its terrorist allies and affiliates could very well attack the United States,” Panetta said.
Al Qaeda is adapting methods to make their plots more difficult to detect, shifting from large attacks with multiple players to using individuals without any background in terrorism, Panetta said.
He noted the failed X-Mas Day bombing of a U.S. airliner as an example, saying the suspect had a U.S. visa but little history of involvement with terrorist groups.
“Obviously, they decided to make use of someone like that within a very short period of time” of the suspect coming into contact with al Qaeda, Panetta said.
(Source: CNN)
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9 Responses
No hiddush there. The prediction will come true regardless of any other factor. Indeed, if there was no liklihood of a terrorist attack in the upcoming months, they would be unemployed.
If they want to say “we guarantee there will be no civilians casulties” or “we’ll catch the guy before hand” – that would be newsworthy.
Funny how under Bush none of this was going on but suddenly under Obama its open season for terror. There’s no stopping these guys.
None of what was going on, “Well Informed Yid.” Terrorism? You mean that 9/11 and the shoe bomber don’t count as terrorism? Interesting.
more spending on defence technologies
I see that you, “nothingg,” are advising the government to spend more on defence. You mean to de-fence the one put up by Bush by Mexico? Nothingg doing with that, I think they plan on keeping it up.
Oh… defense? You are advising the CIA on that?
911 happened because Bill Clinton had and gave away at least 3 chances from what I have heard and
those under him tied the hands of the FBI and CIA saying they could not share information, which could have led to the 911 suspects before that day they got on those planes.
And the shoe bomber, failed and was caught.
Sorry; I meant to say that Clinton had chances to get Bin Ladin.
akuperma, did you finally divest yourself of your addiction to historical revisionism?
Leon Panetta is basing his assessment on what he read in his chinese fortune cookie. The way this administration is NOT fighting a war, they might as well do that.
Obama what happened i thought these guys are going to love you.