AQ is not as strong today as it was in 2001. That is utterly foolish. They have lost over 3/4 of their Sr. Leadership (mainly replaced with less effective....whom we've killed a sizable portion of those as well....only to be replaced with even less effective types).
They have lost their safe haven of Stan. They have been reduced to begging for protection in the Pak tribal regions. They are constantly on the run and constantly aware that U.S. boot may kick down their doors at any time.
Yes, AQ is still a threat. But they are not in the same position of strength (while NOT being hunted) that they were in 2001.
This pinheads opinion of a report that he isn't allowed to talk about is utter BS.
The report contradicts itself by claiming one unnamed source is paraphrasing from the conclusion but the other unnamed source claims it’s being finalized.
These people are absolutely desperate to hit us but have been reduced to the sort of enthusiastic amateurs that carried out the recent bomb plots in the UK- Definitely radical Islam's B-team.
We have AQ and its allies under incredible pressure. We are fighting and killing them by the bushel full in their own homelands- Hanging on to what they got is the focus of their operations.
If we pull out of Iraq- and Afghanistan will go right down the same road within 6 months or a year if we do- they will soon be able to retrain and begin an absolute orgy of terrorism against targets in the west within a few years.
But not quite yet...
Since AQ has a new safe base in waziristan, and we are in iraq have to say the gwot is completely derailed.