Reports of al Qaeda’s death are greatly exaggerated, and the tragic events in Benghazi, Libya, and elsewhere make clear that al Qaeda and its affiliates remain a clear danger to the United States. The jihadists are taking full advantage of a permissive operating environment across the Middle East and North Africa to regroup, strengthen and plot new attacks against our homeland and American interests abroad.
When I was named chairman of the Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence on the House Homeland Security Committee, the Arab Spring had not begun and Osama bin Laden was alive. Over the last two years, I have received regular classified briefings from the U.S. intelligence community, held nearly two dozen hearings on the various terrorist threats, traveled to the Middle East and issued an investigative report on al Qaeda affiliates. In my judgment, the facts in evidence lead to one conclusion: In the words of National Counterterrorism Center Director Matthew Olsen, “Al Qaeda, its affiliates and adherents around the world — as well as other terrorist organizations — continue to pose a significant threat to our country. This threat is resilient, adaptive and persistent.”
