to stop the al qaeda, to squelch the al qaeda and that objective really has been met. we have run al qaeda out of afghanistan. unfortunately the taliban remain, and their relationship that secretary clinton described between the al qaeda and the taliban complicates the issue tremendously, and the difficulty that we hear of course is that al qaeda has now migrated into western pakistan and there is a slow drip if you would have those people migrating into yemen and somalians which is going to cause us a problem in the future i would think. been in any event i think it is a positive that we should look at in the fact that we have driven al qaeda out of afghanistan but we have to remain, we have to deal with what is left over. this is a question that i have. hopefully a brief question. as we build up now and afghanistan, as the president has said we are going to do and you look at what has happened in iraq, whether you agree or disagree with whether we went there or whether we should have gone there in the first place or whether the surge was good or bad, things seem to b

not to stop al qaeda, larry, because there is no al qaeda in afghanistan. our own cia says there's less than 100 al qaeda in afghanistan. what are we going in afghanistan? president obama said we were attacked in afghanistan. i don't think so. 15 of the 19 hijackers, terrorists, killers of 9/11, they were from saudi arabia. in fact, there wasn't one afghanistan citizen amongst them. the only thing afghanistan had to do with it, they are monkey bars in the desert that these guys trained on. i've seen the video. for that? it's absolutely insane, larry. we have been in this war for twice as long now as the u.s. was in world war ii. twice as long as world war ii. we defeated hitler and tojo and mussolini in half the time it's taken us to find osama bin laden. if he came on tonight and said we're going in with special forces to try and capture the killer, that's a good idea. that's not what he's talking about. he says we'll have 100,000 troops there to find these killers that aren't even there. absolutely insane. >> larry: he didn't make any kind of case to your

al-qaeda in the arabian peninsula has its roots a 2006 jail breain which 23 al-qaeda operativehad caped from a maximum secury prison in the capital one of them was -- is now the ader of al-qaeda in the arabian peninsul in january of this year the yemeni branches an the sai arabian anch merged to create th entity. it's a vy organized united. they he a monthly online magazine. put out mccain kays and deos on -- commune kays and video they have roughly 40hard-core followers, and include peoe from france, germany, ausalia, i've been told, as well foreign fighte from egypt and kistan. >> can you how much popular support it has tre? i me, you're on the ground. what do you sein terms of any support for it or feeling foit on the streets? >> well, you don't seeny grfiti or outright, you know, support r al-qaeda, but you're also talking aut a country th has sent owe over the years has sent thousds of fighters to fightn afghanistan and iraq, basilly fighting to libete muslims from nmuslims. in ts sense there's this great syathy for al-qaeda, because of their core messa of protecti muslims and figh

it has to be derived through a group -- >> larry: al qaeda could get it? >> al qaeda.is clearly a strong indicator this guy had support from an al qaeda type franchise or al qaeda. >> larry: how does he get through security? >> well, look at the path that this guy took. he first got aboard a klm aircraft in lagos, nigeria. then he went to amsterdam. i understand he was held in a sanitized area, in other words an area that would segregate him from the general population of the airport because he is transiting to another transatlantic flight. no screening. he is being held in this sanitized area. now from there to detroit. so what we're talking about is a possibility now, i'm saying a possibility, that the only screening this guy had was lagos, nigeria. give me a break, okay. if he did, in fact, get screened in -- >> larry: not screened in amsterdam? >> if he was screened in amsterdam, the screening was typical to what we do today. certainly he did not have what we call whole body image screening which is the only answer to this problem. >> larry: back with more after th

why that is significance is in this al qaeda statement today. they claim that it's an attempted terror the threat on christmas day was a retaliation for air strikes against al qaeda in yemen in recent days. the u.s. has not claimed credit or responsibility for those air strikes taking out leaders in recent days, but the president going out publicly and telling the word we're staying on offense against terrorists in yell men. it was a clear signal with top white house aides that the us is rooting out terrorists in yemen. there's a real confrontation behind the scenes larry. >> larry: is the america taking the right steps to combat terrorism? we'll ask the first homeland security chief, old friend tom ridge, next. >> larry: "wild live" we welcome the forrer governor of pennsylvania, tom ridge. he's president and ceo of ridge global and author of the book "the test of our times: america under siege and how we can be safe again." tom was telling me during the break kind of an ironic story. want to repeat it, tom? >> a friend of mean who worked with

hite winky al qaeda and taliban leaders have been killed -- high-ranking al qaeda and taliban leaders have been killed. in pakistan, the nation's army have got caught -- has gone on its largest offensive in years. in afghanistan, we have prevented the taliban from stopping our presidential election and although it was marred by a fall, that election produced a government that is consistent with afghanistan's laws and constitution. yet the huge challenges, remain. afghanistan is not lost. but for several years it has moved backwards. there is no imminent threat of the government being overthrown, but the taliban has gained momentum. al qaeda has not reemerged in afghanistan in the same numbers as before 9/11, but they retain their safe haven along the border. and our forces lacked the full support they need to effectively train and partner with afghan security forces and better secure the population. our new commander in afghanistan, general mcchrystal, has reported that the security situation is more serious than he anticipated. in short, the status quo is not sustainable. as cadets y

some things say al qaeda may have had something to do with it. larry. >> larry: what, ed, is the administration's response to al qaeda's statement? >> reporter: exactly as nic said. they don't want to give it too much credence yet because al qaeda could be puffing itself up here. this suspect could be trying to exaggerate his own influence with a terror group. he could be making up these statements about having ties to al qaeda. they're being very cool to it it and not independently confirming the al qaeda connection. the other key point i make is that today in his remarks the president said the u.s. will not just stay on defense and beef that up, but will stay on offense and go after the terrorists in places like yemen. why that's significant is in the al qaeda statement today, they claimed that the attempted terror threat on christmas day was a retaliation for air strikes against al qaeda in yemen in recent days. the u.s. has not claimed credit or responsibility for those air strikes taking out al qaeda leaders in recent days, but the president

we don't know whether this extremist group he claims to be linked to is al qaeda or connected to al qaedar he's acting on his own -- this is the point you were just making. whether he was acting on his own or acting as part of a larger operation. >> reporter: this is something that terror analysts have seen more and more of, the use of the internet by al qaeda and others to get their message out but also to recruit, also to sort of screen and filter people. so al qaeda sort of, if you will, maybe may have people that are watching the internet, watching chat rooms and they may find people try and reach out to them electronically and say, we'd like to join, we'd like to support you. but the message coming back from al qaeda, and you can see this from osama bin laden's deputies last year, when people were online asking him those questions in an online chat with him, he's saying, you know our ideology, you know what we want -- you can do it yourself. >> nic, let's go to jeanne meserve. you've been working this story. what more do we have? >> reporter: as you know, the threat level at the mome

let me start with al qaeda.would not have 70,000 american troops in afghanistan and 35,000 more enroute if not for september 11. we all know that. so what is the status of al qaeda today? i will summarize what we have done to al qaeda in one sentence. like any one-sentence summary, it lacks subtle ti. in eight years, we have succeeded in moving the al qaeda core leadership, their senior operational planners and propoganda instrument from kandahar, afghanistan to a location unknown, believed to be about 100 miles away somewhere in pakistan. that is not to diminish the hard work of our soldiers, our intelligence officers and our diplomats and allies in fighting al qaeda. it is not to diminish the accomplishments we have had like bring cleedcleed under detention and killing many others. al qaeda remains a deadly enemy. it is the first truly global terrorist organization in history. its reach and scope in the last eight years is almost breathtaking from algiers to washington to bali to madrid. this organization has

let me start with al qaeda. we would not have 70,000 american troops in afghanistan and 35,000 en route is not for 9/11. what is the status of al qaeda today? i will summarize what we have done to them in one sentence. like any one sentence summary, it lacks subtlety, nuance, but if done right it gets to the point. in eight years we have succeeded in moving at their core leadership, their senior operational planners and their propagation no insurer from candy bar, afghanistan, to an unknown location -- khandahar to afghanistan. that is not to diminish the hard work of our soldiers, intelligence officers, are diplomats, our allies who are fighting. it is not to diminish the accomplishments. the fundamental fact is that all qaeda to date remains a deadly enemy for the united states of america and our allies. it is the first truly global terrorist organization in history. its reach and scope in the last eight years is almost breathtaking when you think about from algiers to washington, from bali to madrid, is organ

was paid by al qaeda, whether he was taking secret phepbls from al qaeda -- messages from al qaeda orne in the name of al qaeda. it too early to tell that. but i think one thing we can conclude from this is that al qaeda is now a force out there in the muslim world and it is not going to go away even if we kill osama bin laden, the idea of al qaedaism or obamaism are going to last. these are enduring values on their side. host: barbara, your reaction to this story? guest: ç there are some initia reports suggesting that this guy was -- is half nigerian and half yes, ma'am a yemeni and may have gotten instruction from al qaeda leaders there including the sheik who was connected to the fort hood shootings. there is some suggestion he may have obtained materials in yemen although it looks like fortunately for all of of us it pretty primative. he succeeded in setting himself on fire but not the plane. and the passengers were very alert and they managed to put this thing out before it caused a catastrophe. i c what is disturbing, if you look at the background of the young man, he apparentl

al qaeda has left the premises. admiral mi mullen says that one of the reasons the talan as recruits and ny in afghanistan is they p better wages. if t afghan army started paying betr wages, you would have a biddi war. let pakistan's message be very clear -- if you want special treatment, that we are n going afterhem,ecause they ha been soft on goingfter al qaeda, giving safe enclaves to taliban,ust get yourself a nuclear weapon and you will be trted differently. >> no wonder iran wants nuclear weapon >> the psident'sessagen al qaeda is misleading. these toll the cogen guments against what would y ve -- it leadso all theode in arguments about why wou you have it infghanistan if there is aew al qaeda there? it is about radical islam. we cannot allow rical islam to succeed in that ea. it is nlear armed. it is unacptable to us than to any our allies. how do you d that? people have miakenly thought about pakistan as a refuge r the bad guys afgnistan. it is thother way aund. think of afghanian as the place of refe and th

al qaeda leaders stated this repeatedly.and retaking and holding parts of afghanistan against the combined forces of multiple, modern armies, the current direction of events has dramatically strengthened the extremist mythology and perceptions of who is winning and losing t. lesson's of the taliban revival is time and will is on their side. that with a western defeat, they could regain their strength and achieve a major strategic victory, as long as the senior leadership lives and can continue to inspire and attract followers and funding. rolling back the taliban is now necessary even if not sufficient to the ultimate defeat of al qaeda. at the same time, one cannot separate the security situation in afghanistan from the stability of pakistan. a nuclear armed nation of 175 million people now also explicitly targeted by islamic extremists. the two countries bound by ties of tribe and faith share a porous border of more than 1,500 miles. giving grooeting room in pakistan tloed the resurgence of the taliban in a more coordinate

. -- pakistan taliban but also al qaeda. we have to take a long-term view of pakistan. dramatically -- dramatically over future years. the numbers of young people subject to influence by extremist groups and large -- is large. the education system with a number of addresses that exist being indoctrinated by extremist ideology is in madrassahs. he is right to insist that we put resources into education. the foreign secretary has undertaken a review of pakistani educational systems and we are making a number of proposals that would improve the textbooks as well as the quality of education available in the schools and pakistan, to which we are prepared to devote substantial resources to enable pakistan to have an education we want to work with pakistan on a comprehensive strategy. can ask proper questions about the details of this statement, prime minister of the words that it is important to have delivery on the ground rather than just words, may i say that it is at last high time that the prime minister has come to take real

the country, long a redoubt of al qaeda, has become a focal point of u.s. counter-terror strategy it's also been the site of past attacks on u.s. targets. the american embassy there was hit last fall by a coordinated assault including car bombs. and in october 2000, the destroyer u.s.s. "cole" was bombed in the port of aden by al qaida operatives. 17 american sailors were killed in that attack. for more on this we turn to christopher boucek from the middle east program of the carnegie endowment for international peace, and a frequent visitor to yemen; and glenn carle, a 23-year veteran of the c.i.a., including service as deputy national intelligence officer for transnational threats, where he tracked terror networks like al qaeda. he retired in 2007. welcome to both of you. we are still waiting for more information about the result its of these attack what is known about the presumed targets, these leaders, how important are they? >> if this proves to be correct this will be a huge victory for the struggle against al qaeda in yemen. 9 people who are talked

that al qaeda has. the taliban are clever. we would not be in the situation we are in if we did not face and adaptable and clever adversary. they recognize that the reason they are not in power right now is because they allowed al qaeda to launch the attack against the united states. so every now and then you will see some reporter that the taliban is saying let's downplay the. now we have the taliban pakistan, the taliban in pakistan whose target is the pakistan government and who are working closely with al qaeda along with their compatriots in afghanistan. >> in addition to the inspirational and aspirational role that al qaeda plays, they provide very specific services. they help provide funding. they help provide targeting and training and equipping. very often they have their planners working closely with the elements of the taliban and both afghanistan and it is in order -- certainly are on presence and our troops. i do not think there is any doubt in the longer that there has been a developing se

that is one of the things that inspires al qaeda and is at the center of al qaeda propaganda against peninsulaxd -- has been in the peninsula. you have a week palestinian çleadership, which is divided. you have and our world which probably would support -- an arabç world which probably woud support carter is but does not want us as key. you have the unitedç states probably more actively engaged than president bush, one it does not seem to have pay off and looks to haveç stretched a goal could not reach on the settlements and then pulled back, leading toç confusion abt us. and israeli primei] minister wih a hard-line reputation. this is a really difficult problem, one of the few thingstd about working on afghanistan and pakistan. guest: indeed. çhost: let us go to jason on te republicans' line. caller: hello, gentlemen. we are fighting a two-pronged war that is not really working. if you look back to 1945 with hitler, he was fighting a two- pronged war and he lost. the thing i'm really concerned about is north korea and iran. they have weapons of mass destruction that could dama

al qaeda is at the heart of it.ether or not the terrorists are homegrown, when we trace their roots, the almost all and up in this border area of afghanistan and pakistan, whether they are from the u.s. or somalia or the united kingdom or elsewhere. what we see is al qaeda, despite their being under pressure and despite their limited numbers and despite the fact there were few of them in afghanistan right now, they are taking advantage of the situation in the region to play a destabilizing and dangerous road. what they have learned as i suggested is in an uncovered space, you have the opportunity to recover and reconstitute and reassert yourself which is what the taliban did in pakistan over three years. now they are in a position with -- where with their momentum they are challenging successfully significant numbers of modern armies. the point is that if given -- if parts of southern and eastern afghanistan once again come under the control of the taliban, that would be space in which a credit could reconstitute it

to pursue our core goal of producing al qaeda -- reducing al qaeda and present -- and preventing theireturn to afghanistan, we must deny their access to the afghan population and strengthen the afghan security forces. this means that we must reverse the taliban and create the time and space to develop afghan security and governance capacity. the president's decision recognizes that the next 18 months will likely be decisive and ultimately enable success. i fully support the president's decision. the president also reiterated the president also reiterated how this decision supports our the mission is not only important, it is achievable. we can and will accomplish the mission. let me briefly explain why i believe so. my confidence derives from the afghan resolve that is their actions that will ultimately matter the most in this conflict. with their interestwe do not cor insurgency. the taliban has no widespread constituency. they have a history of failure in power and they lack an appealing vision. third, where the strategy is applied, we began to show that we can help afghanistan estab

we can deal with al qaeda. the whole issue during this last year is out to be smarter, more effective, and to protect the american people. a false reading of history is that we can continue to do what we did in iraq and give ourselves deeper into the quagmire and at the same time not provide the security for the american people. that is the historical analogy that we need to be careful not to repeat. host: do you feel that by taking this proposal that he is taking a progressives support for granted? guest: no, during the whole debate on health care the progressive fault in congress -- folk were very good and strong on the public option. this is a fundamental policy and philosophical difference. our progress is being taken for granted? if there were, no longer are they. we represent a point of view that needs to get the table, not after the fact. our opposition to this permanency in afghanistan is not just based on politics, but historical reference and the major differences with the administration. no one else,

he was creating pro al qaeda t- shirts -- pro-al qaeda t-shirts to be funny, and a t-shirt that said he did not live in his mom's basement. i have been trying to pope these guys with sticks. that is what knocks them on the defensive. we found this in 2007--- to said that he is using my own words against me without embellishing them and then he is publishing them. this hurts. the third time, he did a bit of a david letterman joke about how many mistakes i had made in it 1/2 page biography of him. these guys have their sense of humor -- a sense of humor. when your funny, it gets more attention than 6000 page report. which they also do the trick still call this methodology the power of truth. they say that the power of truth is not their truth, it is our true. but we have seen over the past few years, the biggest trend is that al qaeda has transformed from a terrorist organization that uses the media into a media organization that uses terrorism. they do this because it makes strategic sense when you are in battle. he can use the media as a forced and fire. it is this curious interplay

qaeda coming there.ast year, you had saudi al qaeda and yemen al qaeda merging. that's a big regional threat. al qaeda there is saying they're going to carry out attacks not just in yemen or in the west but other middle eastern countries. not only do you have the problem with al qaeda -- it is a huge one -- you have the problem of a separatist movement in the south. and you have these clashes that have been going on for months in the north of yemen, on the board we are saudi arabia, with the shiite rebels. the government is going after them. the shiites are fighting back. it's so bad, in fact, in the past week, we spoke to a yemen expert who said it's practically a collapsed state. u.s. is concerned, regional neighbors are concerned. is the yemen government going to be able to get this under control? >> so we're still prooigt trying to make the connection. this story has gone far and wide from a plane that you're looking at on your screen, a delta plane that is a northwest flight 253, that originated in

none of these nations benefit from a base for al qaeda terrorists. regions that descend into problems have a right to lasting peace. sacrifices have been enormous. nearly 700 americans have lost their lifes. troops from over 20 countries have also paid the ultimate price. all americans honor the service are and cherish the friendship of those who have fowlingt and worked and bled by our side and all americans are awed by the service of our men and women in uniform, who have borne a burden as great as any other generation's. they and their family embody the example of selfless sacrifice. i remind everybody, the united states of america did not choose to fight a war in afghanistan. nearly 3,000 of our people were killed on september 11, 2001, for doing nothing more than going about their daily l. al qaeda and its allies have since killed thousands of people in many countries. most of the blood on their hands is the blood of muslims, who al qaeda has killed and maimed in far greater number than any other people. that's the future al qaeda is offering to

al qaeda is still on the border between afghanistan and pakistan. it is very disruptive boast to the pakistan knees and the afghanis. -- pakistanis and the afghanis. it is an area where were have to have a presence, but it should not be combat troops. it should be trainers and support elements. we will get to the point where afghan forces are able to handle their own security with some limited assistance. >> on a related note, where you see that civil society portion of this in 2011? some of your more progressive colleagues have concerns about the government right now, its legitimacy and whether it will affect our mission there. how do you see that playing out? >> there is a definite lack of governmental capacity. that will not be cured in a brief time. regardless of the situation in kabul, being able to extend the government to the provinces is going to be very challenging. one of the problems with our approach to afghanistan over many years is that there is a bit of a cultural disconnect. afghanistan has never had a strong central government, but

for -- to criticize pakistan for failing to deal with al qaeda. there is but -- there has been much specialized -- speculation about the time tables. i have to say, mr. deputy speaker, the statement to the house is slightly different to the briefing given to the press over the weekend. the prime minister says he wants the london conference to determine the conditions for transferring provinces in districts to afghan control. the prime minister also said, in transferred by the end of 2010, and he believed this would be possible for one or two districts in helmand. how could he be confidence of this timetable before the london conference has met and set benchmarks? we all want our troops to come home as soon as possible as soon prime minister agree, we must never do -- does the prime minister agree, that we should never give the impression to the tel then we will not see this through? -- to tell that that we will not see this through? -- to the taliban that we will not see this through? can we assure the people that any discussion of timetables will

what are their ties to al qaeda or their potential ties to al qaeda?sama bin laden has appeared in a video lauding them and urging fellow muslims to support them. to that extent they have received the kind eye of osama bin laden. structural links are more difficult to know about. there are certainly some foreign terrorists who have taken sanctuary there. they are now doing jihadi videos like much as we've seen in pakistan and afghanistsan and did at one point in iraq, where they were, where people were being beheaded. there are now jihadi suicide bombers. this was unknown before 2007. they are now adopting the tactics that we've seen with the most virulent form of extreme islam elsewhere, al qaeda. if they're not al qaeda they certainly want to be. what you have is a society where you have two generations of youth who are uenmployed, largely untaught in many cases and who, in the collapse of the traditional structure of the somali state now seem to be dangerously susceptible to the kind of siren call of the idea of a global jihad. >> reporter: so somal

an al qaeda offshoot in yemen claimed responsibility for the bombing plot.and authorities in iran rounded up leading opposition figures, one day after at least eight protesters were killed. the newshour is always online. hari sreenivasan, in our newsroom, previews what's there. hari? >> sreenivasan: on our web site tonight, we ask four experts how the u.s. should combat recent terror threats, and we get tips for travelers facing heightened security. you can see a slideshow of images from the weekend protests in iran, and find a link to "frontline's" tehran bureau for updates and videos about the recent tensions. and on our art beat page, watch a clip from the documentary "the woman behind little women" about author louisa may alcott, on the pbs series "american masters," later tonight. all that and more is on our web site, newsdhour.pbs.org. >> and that's the newshour for tonight. i'm gwen ifill. >> and i'm margaret warner. we'll see you online, and again here tomorrow evening. thank you, and good night. newshour is provided by: bnsf, the engine that connect

he was supposed to kill an al qaeda leader. he ran into two people and a boy. they couldn't decide whether they should kill them or not because they were afraid it would alert the taliban to their mission and they would all be killed. they decide after an argument, lieu trel said we trust them they won't say anything. 15 minutes later, 200 of the taliban and the al qaeda came across, killed him, killed his partners and left him for dead. 16 navy s.e.a.l.s came in the

. -- pakistan taliban but also al qaeda. we have to take a long-term view of pakistan. dramatically -- dramatically over future years. the numbers of young people subject to influence by extremist groups and large -- is large. the education system with a number of addresses that exist being indoctrinated by extremist ideology is in madrassahs. he is right to insist that we put resources into education. the foreign secretary has undertaken a review of pakistani educational systems and we are making a number of proposals that would improve the textbooks as well as the quality of education available in the schools and pakistan, to which we are prepared to devote substantial resources to enable pakistan to have an education we want to work with pakistan on a comprehensive strategy. can ask proper questions about the details of this statement, prime minister of the words that it is important to have delivery on the ground rather than just words, may i say that it is at last high time that the prime minister has come to take real

how do you say to these troops sent on a mission to kill an al qaeda leader? should they have killed the three people? should they have killed them on the spot so they wouldn't alert the enemy they were going over the hill? would they have been court-martialed by the united states? here we are court-martialing three guys who in operation amber attacked one of the leaders and arrested him, turned him over to the iraqi military. they said they smackeded him in the mouth. and you're court-martialing. it makes no sense. you're the general in charge and you're the ambassador. i talked to the chairman of the joint chiefs and i don't understand why somebody would say this is baloney. >> ambassador watson is recognized for five minutes. >> i want to thank our two witnesses for the service to our country. and the image that you serve to fill abroad. i want to thank you for your experience and wish you well. now, my question goes to the africa africans. in the eight years that we've been involved and more, what is it that is lacking in their government and their experie

let me start with al qaeda.ve 70,000 american troops in afghanistan and 35,000 more on route if not for september 11. we all know that. what is the status of al qaeda today? i will summarize what we have done to al qaeda in one sentence. like anyone sentence summary, it lacks subtlety, it lacks new wants and if done right, it gets to the point. in eight years we have succeeded in moving the al qaeda accord leadership, senior operational planners and propaganda instrument from kandahar, afghanistan, to a location on known -- unknown, believed to be a hundred miles away somewhere in pakistan. that is not to diminish the hard work of our soldiers, our intelligence officers, and our diplomats and our allies in fighting al qaeda. it is not to diminish the the conference we have had -- bringing khalid sheikh mohammed and others under detention and killing many others. but the fundamental fact is that al qaeda today remains a deadly enemy of the united states of america and our allies. it is the first truly global terr

that's where al qaeda is. al qaeda is not a problem in afghanistan. and we are now involved in this issue trying to do some nation building in afghanistan. quite frankly we need to do more nation building back here in the united states. >> lehrer: congressman, let me ask you this. your opposition to this. is it strong enough that you would lead an effort to unfund this 30,000 troop surge? >> well, here's what i believe we should do. i hope there would be bipartisan agreement on this. this escalation of 30,000 additional american forces, this is a big deal. and i would think that it would be appropriate for the white house to make their request to congress sooner rather than later so that all of us in congress, both critics and supporters of this escalation, can have a full debate and vote up or down. as it stands right now, this escalation is beginning. congress really has no role. we're just sitting here watching this. we'll be asked to fund this war kind of in a de facto way come march or april. i don't think that's the right way to do this. >> lehr

let me start with al qaeda.one in one sentence. like any summary, it lacks subtlety. at lax new ones. if done right, tickets to the point. in eight years, we have succeeded in moving the core w3leadership, the al qaeda senir operational planners from kandahar, afghanistan's to a location on known, believed to be about 100 miles away somewhere and pakistan. that is not to diminish the hard work of our soldiers, our intelligence officers, and our diplomats, and our allies in fighting al qaeda. it is not to diminish the accomplishments we have made. but the fundamental fact is that al qaeda today remains a deadly enemy of the united states of america and our allies. it is the first truly global terrorist organization in history. its reach and scope in the last eight years is almost breathtaking when you think about it, from l. sheer, to washington, to algiers, to bali, to madrid, this organization has struck again and again all around the world. it has developed franchises. it has developed surrogstes. it has acqui

oftentimes we find people who claim ties to al qaeda who don't really have them. on the other hand, i will tell you, the first thing i thought of was the richard reid case. that was right around -- several days before christmas years ago where he tried to light his shoe. he came to be known as the shoe bomber. this does have remnants of an al qaeda plot. we know that they return to failed plots frequently. i don't have any doubt that my former colleagues who are still in the government remember richard reid, remember that case and are going back now to understand how is it possible -- so many years after the richard reid case that somebody could get on an international flight having some sort of explosive device on him. that rightly ought to be a real concern to the government and to flying public. >> fran, let's go back and compare these two a little bit, richard reid who we know as the shoe bomber. you're looking at him on tv here. fran, i guess we never really worked out -- a lot of people didn't work out whether richard reid was ultimately a major threat or ju

we have largely expelled al qaeda from afghanistan. today it is the presence of al qaeda's in afghanistan, its direct ties to win support from the taliban in afghanistan and the perils of an unstable nuclear arms pakistan the drive our mission. what happens in pakistan, particularly near the afghan border, will in my judgment do more to determine the outcome in afghanistan than any increase in troops or shift in strategy. congress has provided $7.5 billion in nonmilitary aid over the next five years to help address the crucial pakistani mission of the president's plan. that is the beginning but i believe and i think the committee shares the belief that there is more that we can and must do with the pakistanis, all of which can alleviate the pressure of afghanistan, indeed even determine the outcome in afghanistan. i believe it is important for the pakistanis to understand that our commitment to them into the region is long term, even as troops are reduced in afghanistan. in fact, the conditions that permit a reduction in american troop

your mission is to destroy, distract, and feet al qaeda. and, prevent the return of taliban and help the afghan people. your presence is welcome and demanded. a lot will be reversed. let's be clear, what the mission is. same question has been asked. what are we in afghanistan? -- why are we in afghanistan? frankly, sometimes i am surprised how quickly people will go back to the mindset of september tamp10. you are in afghanistan because you were attacked, because of 911. this is truly america's war, to distract and destroy al qaeda. this is nato's battle for regional stability and europe's security. it is our struggle to stay alive in a difficult part of the world. your presence in africa speafghn has prevented attacks. but you're in mounds of afghanistan to provide security -- but you are in afghanistan to provide security. the benefit is neutral. it is to the best mutual nnational interest to fight a bharal enemy in afghanistan. -- to fight a brittle enemy in afghanistan. one cannot separate this from stability or lack of stability in pak

let me start with al qaeda.uld not have 70,000 american troops in afghanistan and 35,000 more en route if not for 9/11. we all know that. what is the status of al qaeda today? i will summarize what we have done in one sentence. like any summary, it lacks subtlety. it lacks nuance. if done right, it gets to the point. in eight years, we have succeeded in moving the core leadership, the al qaeda senior operational planners from kandahar, afghanistan, to a location unknown, believed to be about 100 miles away, somewhere and pakistan. that is not to diminish the hard work of our soldiers, our intelligence officers, and our diplomats, and our allies in fighting al qaeda. it is not to diminish the accomplishments we have made. but the fundamental fact is that al qaeda today remains a deadly enemy of the united states of america and our allies. it is the first truly global terrorist organization in history. its reach and scope in the last eight years is almost breathtaking when you think about it. from algiers to washi

al qaeda's leaders are there, most likely including osama bin laden.home-grown militants like lashkar itaeba are there and so are others directing the insurgency in afghanistan. pakistan is a sovereign nation and obviously we need to respect that, but we must convince its government to tackle all of the extremist groups threatening regional and international security. for pakistan's sake as well as the regions and all of those who have a stake in the, in this effort. the pakistani military should be congratulated and it has demonstrated firm resolve with its offensive against the pakistan and division of the northwestern province in south waziristan and its commanders deserve great credit. they have sacrificed. now we're looking for them to take on the afghan network, and al qaeda strongholds. this will be crucial to our success in afghanistan. today we are prepared to provide pakistan with additional equipment, and other military many pakistan is believed that america will once again abandon the region as we did after the fall of the soviet union. one

was paid by al qaeda, whether he was taking secret phepbls from al qaeda -- messages from al qaeda orclude from this is that al qaeda is now a force out there in the muslim world and it is not going to go away even if we kill osama bin laden, the idea of al qaedaism or obamaism are going to last. these are enduring values on their side. host: barbara, your reaction to this story? guest: ç there are some initia reports suggesting that this guy was -- is half nigerian and half yes, ma'am a yemeni and may have gotten instruction from al qaeda leaders there including the sheik who was connected to the fort hood shootings. there is some suggestion he may have obtained materials in yemen although it looks like fortunately for all of of us it pretty primative. he succeeded in setting himself on fire but not the plane. and the passengers were very alert and they managed to put this thing out before it caused a catastrophe. i c what is disturbing, if you look at the background of the young man, he apparently came from a very privileged family. his father is banker in nigeria. he went to the b

that is one of the things that inspires al qaeda and is at the center of al qaeda propaganda againstould like to see a more active diplomatic role. i don't think there's any room for troops. however, i think -- i am very discouraged about the middle east situation, because it seems to be almost intractable. i don't know that there could be any progress without a much stronger diplomatic effort by the united states with regard to the israelis. çhost:xd ambassador neumann, du agree? you see what could take? guest: i don't want to wander too far out of my area of expertise did i spend!]ost of my career in the middle east, but most ofxd it as an and the peninsulaxd -- has been in the peninsula. you have a week palestinian çleadership, which is divided. you have and our world which probably would support -- an arabç world which probably woud support carter is but does not want us as key. you have the unitedç states probably more actively engaged than president bush, one it does not seem to have pay off and looks to haveç stretched a goal could not reach on the settlements and then pu

it also has tieso al qaeda.that has raised w alarms. >> where al qaeda and s allies attempt to estlish a foothold -- whether in somalia or yen or elsewhere-- they st be confronted by gring pressure and strong ptnerships. reporter: amid the lawlessness and threatf dnapping, few foreigners travel to solia. one who has ison lee anderson, who wre about his experience in the "neyorker" magazine. >> you described somal as the wod's ultimate failed state. now ll in that picture, what does that mean? >> ts is a country that has been ignored, neected by the tside world for the past 20 year nearly 20 years. in that time, the state ch as it existed, it had already umbled and devolved into feuding militi, clan-based militias. in essence, that'sarried on in e same fashion. >> rorter: so what do you see when you go to a failed ste? >> let's put ithis way, i flew in with e president of somalia. we landed on an rstrip where there was a crashed jet, and justcrub, you could see the ocean nearby, the indian oan. very, very low bui

about al qaeda getting intense arm pakistan's nuclear-weapons? and if so, -- getting its hands on pakistan's nuclear-weapons? and if so, where are we -- why are we moving that arsenal out of that country? guest: i do not know that the pakistan government would allow it. pakistan, when we ask about this, assures us that they are divided of and that someone could not simply walk in and take one. as they face india, there is concern that they would be green these things together. these things are always most horrible when they are being transported. you are bringing together components in a moment of crisis and with the government is confused and so on. that is a difficult and worries some scenario. and in india, they have said, with the cannot allow these nuclear-weapons to be floating around as they are being moved. so, they intervene at that point. the best argument would be for land mines. landmines are politically unpopular these days, but as a weapon of last resort, what you might want to do if you are worried about components of the pakistani

al qaeda leaders have stated this expansively. events has strengthened the extremists methodology and popular perceptions of view is winning and who is leading. but the lesson of the revival for al qaeda it is that time and will are on their side. they could regain their strength and achieved a victory as long as their senior leadership lives and can attract followers. rolling back the taliban is necessary if not sufficient to the altman defeat of al qaeda. one cannot separate the security situation in afghanistan. a nuclear arms nation now targeted by extremists -- the two countries share in order of more than 1,500 miles. it led to the resurgence of the taliban. there are more sophisticated attacks in afghanistan. it would put more pressure on the pakistani government already under attack from groups operating on the border region. they have become a real threat to pakistan alone domestic peace and stability. there were escalating bombing attacks throughout the country. it is these attacks and that largely motivated the current

hite winky al qaeda and taliban leaders have been killed -- high-ranking al qaeda and taliban leaders have been killed. in pakistan, the nation's army have got caught -- has gone on its largest offensive in years. in afghanistan, we have prevented the taliban from stopping our presidential election and although it was marred by a fall, that election produced a government that is consistent with afghanistan's laws and constitution. yet the huge challenges, remain. afghanistan is not lost. but for several years it has moved backwards. there is no imminent threat of the government being overthrown, but the taliban has gained momentum. al qaeda has not reemerged in afghanistan in the same numbers as before 9/11, but they retain their safe haven along the border. and our forces lacked the full support they need to effectively train and partner with afghan security forces and better secure the population. our new commander in afghanistan, general mcchrystal, has reported that the security situation is more serious than he anticipated. in short, the status quo is not sustainable. as cadets y

strategy against al qaeda and afghanistan. starting at 8:00 p.m. eastern, remembering the lives of william buckley, jr., and senator kennedy. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2009] >> tonight, historian robert merry