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Mueller: Cooperation Changed Between al Qaeda, Affiliates

By Andrew Ramonas

FBI Director Robert Mueller on Wednesday told senators that he is worried about the potential for terrorists attacks at the hands of al Qaeda, al Qaeda affiliates and homegrown radicals.

He said the terrorist groups with ties to al Qaeda have transformed the way they work together over the last year. He noted various attempted terrorist attacks in the United States, including the alleged plan by Najibullah Zazi to bomb the New York subway in 2009. He said it was the first known time since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks that al Qaeda positioned one of its trained agents in the United States.

?The level of cooperation among al Qaeda and other terrorist groups has changed in the past year, suggesting that this collaboration and resulting threat to the homeland will increase,” Mueller told members of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. “By sharing financial resources, training, tactical and operational expertise, and recruits, these groups have been able to withstand significant counterterrorism pressure from United States, coalition, and local government forces.”

Read a full write-up of Mueller’s testimony from the AFP here and a story from Tickle The Wire here.

Full post as published by Main Justice on September 22, 2010 (boomark / email).