Regional Al Qaida affiliates and Pakistan core seen gaining strength
The regional affiliates of the Al Qaida terrorist group, specifically those in Yemen and Somalia, are expected to gain strength in the coming months even as the Pakistan-based central group headed by Osama Bin Laden remains dangerous and in pursuit of mass casualty attacks.
That was the central message of Director of National Intelligence James Clapper who appeared last week before the House Intelligence Committee to present the annual worldwide threat briefing.