'Undetectable' bomb reveals how Al Qaeda threat to US is evolving
| Washington
The discovery of an 鈥渦nderwear bomb鈥� designed to avoid airport metal detectors offers a portrait of a clever new Al Qaeda 鈥� increasingly decentralized and intent on attacking the United States.
The bomb bears the audacious imprint of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), which developed the device used by the would-be suicide bomber on an airliner bound for Detroit on Christmas Day in 2009. It is the third foiled effort by the Yemen-based group to carry out an attack on US soil.
It also makes the offshoot Al Qaeda group the No. 1 terrorist threat to the United States, top intelligence officials agree.
In the wake of the death of Osama bin Laden one year ago, so-called Al Qaeda 鈥渁ffiliates鈥� have risen in importance and聽鈥渨ill surpass the core Al Qaeda remaining in Pakistan鈥� in its ability to threaten the United States,鈥� says Robert Cardillo, deputy director for intelligence integration with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.听
Not only will AQAP and other affiliates 鈥渟eek opportunities to strike Western interests in its operating area,鈥� they will continue to target Americans in the United States as well, Mr. Cardillo adds.
To do so, the terrorist group is finding new ways to spread and morph, Rep. Peter King (R) of New York, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, told CNN this week. 鈥淭hey are very able scientists,鈥� he added. 鈥淭hese are sophisticated people. They never stop.鈥�
For now, AQAP is revamping its bomb techniques to try to avoid the failure of the 2009 device, according to top US officials. Both bombs contained PETN, a powdery explosive that is undetectable by airport X-ray machines. Also in 2009, AQAP rigged computer printers with explosives and attempted to deliver them to Chicago.
鈥淭his seems to be a new level of sophistication by Al Qaeda, probably Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula,鈥� Congressman King said.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is testing the device now, but officials question whether the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) could have detected the device without intelligence about AQAP鈥檚 plans, which likely came from Saudis, according to US officials.
A CIA drone strike this weekend is said to have taken out the head of external operations for AQAP, Fahd al-Quso,聽who is responsible for plotting attacks on the US as well as the 2000 attack on the USS Cole, according to US officials.听
Ambassador Daniel Benjamin, coordinator for counterterrorism at the US Department of State, warned last year that AQAP is the No. 1 terrorist threat to the United States as it continues to try to acquire and hold territory in Yemen.听
Most concerning of all, he added, AQAP remains unique in its 鈥渞elentless desire to carry out a terrorist attack鈥� on US soil.
