At least 100 al-Qaeda operatives are inside the United States and pose the most immediate threat of a fresh terrorist attack on the United States, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee said on Saturday, according to AFP.
"There are 100 or more al Qaeda operatives inside the United States, some of whom have been here for a considerable period of time," Senator Bob Graham of Florida said on CNN’s "Novak, Hunt and Shields."
All have been trained "to carry out terrorist plots when they were called upon to do so," said Graham who receives regular intelligence briefings from the CIA and the FBI.
"That probably is the most immediate threat of a terrorist attack against the United States."
Other international terrorist organizations also have agents inside the United States, Graham added, without providing further details.
Earlier this month the US government issued its fifth alert since the September 11 terrorist attacks, warning law enforcement and the general public that terrorists could possibly strike again.
The February 11 alert was the most specific yet, stating that a Yemeni national was believed to be planning an attack in the United States or against US interests in Yemen "on or around" February 12.
The intelligence was gathered in Afghanistan and in interviews of Taliban or al-Qaeda detainees transferred to the US base at Guantanamo Bay, the FBI said in a statement. No attack materialized on February 12. (Albawaba.com)
