Al-Qaida increasing operational reach

Al-Qaida has increased its operational reach through ties with regional terrorist groups while continuing to plan and direct attacks from its safe haven in Pakistan.

Al-Qaida has increased its operational reach through partnerships with regional terrorist groups while continuing to plan and direct attacks from its safe haven in Pakistan’s frontier provinces, top US intelligence officials have said.

Addressing the Senate Armed Services Committee at a hearing on National Security Threats, the intelligence chiefs also said al Qaida remains a “pre-eminent” threat to the US despite its recent losses as the group retained or regenerated key elements of its capability, including the top leadership.

“Al Qaida has extended its operational reach through partnerships and mergers with compatible regional terrorist groups, including a continued effort to expand into Africa. Al Qaida maintains its desire to possess weapons of mass destruction,” the Director of Defence Intelligence Agency, Lt Gen Michael Maples, said.

“We believe al Qaida has expanded its support to the Afghan insurgency,” he said, adding the group continues to “plan, support and direct transnational attacks from its de facto safe haven” in Pakistan’s largely ungoverned frontier provinces.

Maples also said al Qaida presents an “increased threat” to Pakistan.

National Intelligence Director Michael McConnell said al Qaida remains the “pre-eminent terrorist threat” to the US as “despite our successes, the group has retained or regenerated key elements of its capability, including top leadership, operational middle level lieutenants, and de facto safe haven.”