A counter-terrorism official familiar with a five-page summary of the document — titled ‘Al-Qaeda better positioned to strike the West’ — called it a stark appraisal. The analysis will be part of a broader meeting at the White House on Thursday about an upcoming National Intelligence Estimate.
The findings suggest that the network that launched the most devastating terror attack on US soil has been able to regroup despite nearly six years of bombings, war and other tactics aimed at dismantling it.
The threat assessment focuses on the terror group’s safe haven in Pakistan and makes a range of observations about the threat posed to the US and its allies, officials said.
Increasing concern
Counter-terrorism officials have been increasingly concerned about al-Qaeda’s recent operations. This week, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said he had a “gut feeling” that the US faced a heightened risk of attack this summer. The al-Qaeda is “operationally stronger than a year ago” and has “regrouped to an extent not seen since 2001,” the counter-terrorism official said, paraphrasing the report’s conclusions. “They are showing greater and greater ability to plan attacks in Europe and the United States.”
The group also has created “the most robust training programme since 2001, with an interest in using European operatives,” the official quoted the report as saying.

DIVERTED
Washington, AFP: An American Airlines flight from Los Angeles to London was diverted to New York on Thursday over security concerns, but US authorities said the incident was a “misunderstanding”.
Police had removed a passenger of Middle Eastern descent after the flight crew had spotted the same man on an employee bus earlier. The passenger did not appear to have the correct identification showing he was an employee. However, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said: “The individual in question was, in fact, an employee who was traveling in a private capacity.”