Mueller: Al-Qaida 'still lethal'

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 (UPI) -- FBI Director Robert Mueller says al-Qaida, fractured into a group of regional networks, is "still lethal."

In an interview with USA Today published Wednesday, Mueller said a major danger now is groups like Lashkar-e- Taiba, blamed for last year's attacks in Mumbai, when a small group of terrorists killed 173 people.

He described Lashkar-e-Taiba and similar groups as a new "genre" that share al-Qaida's goals but have no formal relationship with it.

Eight years after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, al-Qaida remains dangerous, he said. He would not say whether he believes another attack on the United States is likely.

"Yes, they retain the capability of striking overseas," Mueller said. "They are still lethal."

Intelligence officials also fear al-Qaida could establish a regional base in Yemen. Dennis Blair, director of national intelligence, recently testified before a Senate committee that the base could be used for training and as a staging area for attacks elsewhere.