have been carried out by were inspired by aqap.ow would you assess the threat to the homeland, would you put them at top of the list of the threats by terrorist organizations and then as a follow-up is yemen on its way to becoming another afghanistan safe haven for aqap to plot a tax and to we have a sufficient strategy in place for yemen? >> thank you putative reports to that question, the first is that aqap is certainly among the biggest concerns from the counterterrorism perspective. it has shown itself to be to have both the intent and the capability of carrying out attacks against the united states and the homeland. i mentioned the two examples of that in christmas day 2009 and in 2010. beyond the actual attempted attacks one of the biggest concerns we have about aqap is its propaganda efforts. anwar al-awlaki, dual u.s. citizen has transpired magazine sought to inspire western request westerners. the actual issues of inspired magazines have included step by step on making instructions. >> that is my next question. how do they

have been carried out by were inspired by aqap. how would you assess the threat to the homeland, would you put them at top of the list of the threats by terrorist organizations and then as a follow-up is yemen on its way to becoming another afghanistan safe haven for aqap to plot a tax and to we have a sufficient strategy in place for yemen? >> thank you putative reports to that question, the first is that aqap is certainly among the biggest concerns from the counterterrorism perspective. it has shown itself to be to have both the intent and the capability of carrying out attacks against the united states and the homeland. i mentioned the two examples of that in christmas day 2009 and in 2010. beyond the actual attempted attacks one of the biggest concerns we have about aqap is its propaganda efforts. anwar al-awlaki, dual u.s. citizen has transpired magazine sought to inspire western request westerners. the actual issues of inspired magazines have included step by step on making instructions. >> that is my next question. how do th

have been carried out by re inspired by aqap. how would you assess the threat to the homeland, would you put them at top of the list of the threats by terrorist organizations and theas a follow-up is yemen on its way to becoming another afghanistan safe haven for aqap to plot a tax and to we have a sufficient strategy in place for yemen? >> thank you putative reports to that question, the first is that aqap is certainly among the biggest concerns from the counterterrorism perspective. it has shown itself to be to have both the intent and the capability of carrying out attacks against the united states and the homeland. i mentioned the two examples of that in christmas day 2009 and in 2010. beyond the actual attempted attacks one of the biggest concerns we have about aqap is its propaganda efforts. anwar al-awlaki, dual u.s. citizen has transpired magazine sought to inspire western request westerners. the actual issues of inspired magazines have included step by step on making instructions. >> that is my next question. how do they

political unrest in yemen helped aqap co-op local tribe and extend its influence. despite this, counterterrorism cooperation with yemen has, in fact, improved in the past few months. that's very important as we clearly have to intensify the collaboration and deny aqap the safe haven it seeks to establish. state failure in the expansion of extremist networks over the past two decades have made southern somalia one of the world's most significant havens for terrorists. al-qaeda's affiliates there is large, well funded compared to most groups and they have attracted and trained thousands of fighters including scores of americans and others from western countries. the suicide bombings in uganda last year demonstrated the group's ability to operate beyond somalia. sustained pressure on the relatively small fighters driving the terrorists' plotting and outreach to al-qaeda could persuade them to turn from global jihad. the top operative in east africa, were killed this year. his protege was killed two years early leaving them under pressure by afghan union troops. we hav

as a leader of aqap he was responsible for that.something i will do here. >> his focus was primarily international because of his english language capability and his abilities on the internet and speaking to moslems. what affect do you think his death will have on a fax by aqap to destabilize the government of yemen and saudi arabia? >> this is a serious blow to al- qaeda in the arabian peninsula. we remain extremely vigilant. that organization remains very dangerous and has proven itself to be operational and cable. the vigilance continues. as it has in the wake of a successful mission against osama bin laden. al-qaeda remains a serious threat and one that we continue to confront in a variety of ways. while this is an important milestone, it is not the end of change our doesn't posture toward the organization. >> do you sense in the many government that they are helping the u.s. government or is this something that has been going along? >> i was asked is because of the unrest in yemen as to how that has affected their cooperation a

people in a variety of federal agencies who spe time gathering intelligence about al qaeda, about aqap, about other related groups, that the question is, are we analyzing it properly and are we sharing it properly. >> are we. >> amongst ourselves but also across the country. >> rose: are you assured we are? >> i'm very confident that we're sharing it in a much more robust way than we did on 9/11. and based on what i see and what i d, there is a tremendous amount of suring that goes on. >> rose: and was there a treasure trove that came out on the raid of -- >> on bin laden sm. >> rose: yes. >> you know, i think there. >> one would say much of it confirmed what we believed. and so not so much new or novel but confirming that yes, we were putting our efforts in the right place. >> rose: confirmed from the computer files and the hard drive and all of that that came out. >> the other things that were taking place. >> rose: what's the hardest part of it for you sm is it what you have just simply said, trying to figure out where the next attack might come from? >> that's the most intellectual

al awlaki didn't have an official position in aqap, al qaeda in the arabian peninsula. he was an adviser, but he wasn'ted leader, he wasn't the deputy commander. we have to understand this is not going to have a direct military impact in terms of what their capabilities are. aqap today, right now, is just as capability of launching an international terrorist attack as they were 24 hours ago. that's something we have to understand. al awlaki's importance was the symbol, as a recruiter, as a motivator. he wasn't a military figure, per se. >> al awlaki, tidbits about his private life have also started to emerge over the past few hours. he was at one point cleric in this country, but it looks like he may not have been as devout as some of his brethren. >> yeah. i mean, look, there are rumors that he was arrested for prostitution here in this country, for soliciting prostitution, i should say. al awlaki was somebody whose philosophy was, you do whatever is necessary to achieve your goals. it's a very simple ideology. but especially for home-grown extremists who are not very

political unrest in yemen helped aqap co-op local tribe and extend its influence. despite this, counrterrorism cooperation with yemen has, in fact, improved in the past few months. that's very important as we clearly have to intensify the collaboration and deny aqap the safe haven it seeks to establish. state failure in the expansion of extremist networks over the past two decades have made southern somalia one of the world's most significant havens for terrorists. al-qaeda's affiliates there is large, well funded compared to most groups and they have attracted and trained thousands of fighters including scores of americans and others from western countries. the suicide bombings in uganda last year demonstrated the group's ability to operate beyond somalia. sustained pressure on the relatively small fighters driving the terrorists' plotting and outreach to al-qaeda could persuade them to turn from global jihad. the top operative in east africa, were killed this year. his protege was killed two years early leaving them under pressure by afghan union troops. we have

aqap was a definite threat. it was operational. it planned and carried out terrorist attacks that fortunately did not succeed but were extremely serious, including the ones i mentioned with the would-be christmas day bombing in 2009 and the attempt to bomb numerous cargo planes heading to the united states. he was obviously also an active recruiter of al qaeda terrorists. i do not think anybody in the field would dispute those assertions. any credibleknow of terrorist expert who would dispute the fact u.s. and -- the fact he was a leader in al qaeda and involved in terrorist attacks against american interests and citizens. >> do you plan to bring before the public any proof of the charges? >> the question has assumptions about the circumstances of his death that i will not address. >> you were asserting he had operational control of the cargo plot and the other. he is now dead. can you tell us or has the judge been shown? >> i am not going to go any further than what i have said about the circumstances of his death. i will not goin

for the past two years, aqap has undertaken attacks directed at the homeland.e saw this on cargo planes and in the attempted bombing on christmas day the year before. and on line they have reaffirmed their commitment to this type of attack. they also continue to emphasize lone actor operations in the west and have sought to radical size individuals over the internet to carry out attacks here and in europe. and despite the recent counterterrorism successes abroad, and there have been many, core al-qaeda also remains commit today high-profile attacks directed at the west. we saw this in the 2009 plot to attack the new york subway, and we confirmed this from the materials seized on the raid on osama bin laden's compound last spring. and as you know, we continue to track the current threat streams from al-qaeda, threat streams that became public last week. other groups in the region of pakistan such as ttp have similarly shown an intent to target the united states. we saw this when ttp claimed responsibility for the times square attempted bombing. and we remain con

do see is the so-called franchises we talked about i think will probably be a threat to us so the aqaps, aqis, am's erst, there could be other chapters of those. i think we achieved dramatic successes in taking down and damaging core al-qaeda, but the whole notion of franchises or variance thereof will be with us for some time. >> i would agree wi that. i moreover say extremist groups at large will exist, not all of them necessarily motivated by something root in misreading of the islamic faith, but perhaps some as they are now. not all is extremist groups or are islamic extremist groups. there's a variety of others if you look at the designation of the state department. there will be, unfortutely, movements out there motivated by a variety of different objectives that will carry out extremist activities. > i think that speaks to congressman thompson's point with the strategic view as well and superempowered small groups. >> exactly. >> let me jump around with the time i have remaining. the country has the privacy and civil liberties oversight board as you two know, and i know most agen

recruiting lone wolves and homegrown extremists than he is as a military official within or in support of aqap. >> so basically al qaeda in the arabian peninsula, this guy goes, gets on the air, gets on the internet, and stirs up people who may possibly be leaning against u.s. policy in the mideast, turns them into radicals. >> they see him as a rock star. the guy's out in ft. dix in new jersey, they were listening to anwar al awlaki on their car stereo system while they were pointing out various targets and saying, this the guy, this guy knows how to do it. we need to follow exactly what this guy is telling us to do. >> looks like an enemy in the field today. today, the president said that the death of awlaki was a significant milestone in the broader effort to defeat al qaeda and its affiliates. let's watch the president. >> the death of awlaki is a major blow to al qaeda's most active operational affiliate. but make no mistake. this is further proof that al qaeda and its affiliates will find no safe haven anywhere in the world. working with yemen and our other allies and partners, we will b

that's very important as we clearly have to intensify the collaboration and deny aqap the safe haven it seeks to establish. state failure in the expansion of extremist networks over the past two decades have made southern somalia one of the world's most significant havens for terrorists. al-qaeda's affiliates there is large, well funded compared to most groups and they have attracted and trained thousands of fighters including scores of americans and others from western countries. the suicide bombings in uganda last year demonstrated the group's ability to operate beyond somalia. sustained pressure on the relatively small fighters driving the terrorists' plotting and outreach to al-qaeda could persuade them to turn from global jihad. the top operative in east africa, were killed this year. his protege was killed two years early leaving them under pressure by afghan union troops. we have to continue the work to reduce capabilities. the aqim targeted western interests throughout northern and western africa while continuing to battle the security forces of nigeria. they conducted a doub

countries like nigeria. >> you mention al qaeda in the arabian tenet, shorthand aqap. last october of 2010 they believe your authorities accepted a shipment from yemen at the east midlands airport, which intelligence indicated contained an explosive device, which came before the united states and stopped over in east midlands. upon inspection, no explosive device with the type to. i believe it took several hours and they had to go back. how did that happen? how did the inspectors in authorities on the ground not detect that advice? >> well, i think we have to understand what we are dealing with are terrorists that becomes more sophisticated interfaces they prepare if it's a challenge, part of the technological challenges making sure that we can find ways of increasing their ability to detect and increasing, obviously the whole question of cargo security is part of that as well as the question of security on passenger planes. >> is a specific incident or event intelligence. were you surprised that the inspection didn't detect that? recent price at the level of sophistic

obviously we've been talking that areas like aqap and in yemen and al-shabaab and somalia for some time, countries like nigeria are now countries we also need to look at. >> you mentioned al qaeda and the arabian peninsula and the short and i guess aqap last october, october 2010i believe your authority intercepted a shipment from yemen and the east midlands airport which intelligence indicated an explosive device which was aimed for the united states and upon inspection no explosive device was detected initially did i believe it took several hours and had to go back. how did that happen. how did the inspectors and the authority on the ground not detect the device crux? >> what we continue dealing with is to become more sophisticated in the devices that they prepare , and it is a challenge part of the technological challenge as making sure that we can find ways of increasing our ability to detect, and increasing the whole question an engine of the fusion secure and cargo security is part of the question of the securities on passenger planes. >> there is a specific incident in which the

. >> reporter: bruce ridel says aqap is dangerous, in part, because jihad is hiding in yemen. >> one>> reporter: from somalia, al shabaab started to carry out attacks outside their home turf and less is known about their leaders. >> east africa's largely a black hole. >> reporter: an official cable leaked to wikileaks shows two years ago american diplomats agreed to get approval to arm reaps are directly from seychelles' president who supported counterterrorism flights into east africa. the cable describes president james michelle's opinion of somalia. that country could prove a nest for terrorism, if the problem isn't attacked head on. why is it so important to have this drone base out at sea? >> so you can react within minutes, 24 hours a day, for the next several months until you find the bad guy. once again, we found some of these bad guys in the past and not able to put an asset on target and we end up losing the bad guy because we can't get an asset there the. >> reporter: u.s. initially used arm droned strikes in pakistan and afghanistan, along with areas of iraq. gadhafi's fo

al qaeda copper aqap, somehow it is unrelated. we have seen a change in the tactics in the affiliates. some of the affiliates are new to the al qaeda network. that was by design. it had clear benefits to al qaeda. the tactics, that was one of the things that i found interesting, the debate they had amongst themselves about changing the tactics in the fight. u.b.l. was very american center. he wanted a big event around an anniversary because he knew it was going to be important to us. the splinter groups, they are an equal partner in a.q. itself. is it a lone wolf if he is recruited, radicalized, and directed by a group? i recruit you in the united states, finance you in the united states, give you some direction rather than recruit you in pakistan and i strap you with a bomb and put you on an airplane to blow up over the united states, what is the difference? eyes would say that there is no difference. -- i would say there is no difference. how do you disrupt an attack like that? it is a threat. we worry about somebody grabbing a