Al-Qaida weakened, but remains a concern

WASHINGTON, Feb. 8 (UPI) -- Al-Qaida, weakened considerably by recent drone strikes, has turned to smaller operations that are harder to detect, U.S. counter-terrorism experts say.

The drone strikes helped hunt down and kill the terror group's leaders and prevent it from organizing mass-casualty attacks, the experts told The Washington Post. But now the group is showing its ability to slip past U.S. security strike within the country, as in the case of the November carnage at Fort Hood, Texas, and the failed attempt to bomb a Detroit-bound airliner Dec. 25, 2009.

The experts said these efforts, described as low-tech approaches, have raised the fear level across the United States as the jihad group seeks desperately for a victory.

"The noose is tightening, and al-Qaida's leadership is accelerating efforts that were probably in place anyway," Andy Johnson, former staff director of the Senate intelligence committee and now national security director for the Washington think tank Third Way, told the Post.

Johnson said the strikes against al-Qaida in Iraq and in Pakistan have forced operatives to flee to new havens, such as Yemen, to look for weaknesses in Western defenses. Security officials warned about al-Qaida's ability to adapt to changed circumstances, such as favoring lone operatives and using conventional explosives, the report said.

National Intelligence Director Dennis Blair said al-Qaida's new tactics may be less spectacular but they also are far harder to detect and disrupt. He said intelligence agencies are concerned Americans may be traveling overseas for training and returning home to carry out terrorist strikes.