CIA Chief: Al Qaeda Grooming 'Western Looking' Terrorists

You know, when I first read this article, I had this vision of an al Qaeda barbershop where typical muj were getting their faces shaven, hair dyed blonde and blue tinted contact lens' put in! Haha. But in all seriousness, this is a natural transition for al Qaeda. We have seen time and time again that the effectiveness of al Qaeda has always been their ability to move from tactic to tactic - as soon as we have a good handle on their operating mode, they are on to a new one. We have seen this with the moves to IED's in Iraq to the suicide bomb vehicles to the suicide bombers with vests to the suicide bombing females. From the statement by CIA Chief Michael Hayden:

"They are bringing operatives into that region for training -- operatives that, a phrase I would use, wouldn't attract your attention if they were going through the customs line at Dulles (airport near Washington DC) with you," Hayden told NBC television Sunday.

And this from a new intelligence report:

"Al-Qaeda is improving the last key aspect of its ability to attack the US -- the identification, training, and positioning of operatives for an attack in the homeland," the report said.

Let's make one other point. Al Qaeda continues to work towards another terror attack on U.S. soil and we know them well enough by now to know that they have the patience to do it - there is no sense of urgency in their jihad. What is encouraging is that not only is Hayden on top of this, but he is willing to put it out there to the world. One thing that al Qaeda doesn't like is the spotlight on their operations - they just LOVE to shock and awe the world. We see their threats time and time again veiled in generality, promises a "big surprise." I like the fact that we are exposing some of their new tactics for all to see. Now, I don't want all of the info out there...I'd like some surprises of our own!

Here's the full story at Asharq.

Al-Qaeda Grooming Militants Who 'Look Western': CIA Chief


WASHINGTON (AFP) - The head of the main US spy agency has warned that Al-Qaeda is training operatives who "look western" and could enter the United States undetected to conduct terrorist attacks.
Central Intelligence Agency Director General Michael Hayden also said the terror network, which over the past 18 months has established a "safe haven" in Pakistan's tribal areas along the Afghanistan border, has shed its operational reliance on mastermind Osama bin Laden.
"They are bringing operatives into that region for training -- operatives that, a phrase I would use, wouldn't attract your attention if they were going through the customs line at Dulles (airport near Washington DC) with you," Hayden told NBC television Sunday.
The new recruits "look western" and "would be able to come into this country ... without attracting the kind of attention that others might," he said.
Hayden pointed to improved intelligence techniques in the federally administered tribal areas, due to "good cooperation from a variety of allies" in Pakistan's tribal regions, for the information on the Al-Qaeda recruits.
But much of the improvement was merely regaining ground that was lost through what Hayden described as an "absolutely disastrous" hands-off policy in the region by Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf in 2006 that led to Al-Qaeda's increased organizational ability there.
"He was, in fact, pulling forces and the writ of the Pakistani government back from the tribal region, and Al-Qaeda and the Taliban were having more and more free reign there."
In an annual threat assessment released in February, US intelligence reported it had detected an influx of new western recruits to Al-Qaeda safe havens in Pakistan's federally administered tribal areas since 2006.
"Al-Qaeda is improving the last key aspect of its ability to attack the US -- the identification, training, and positioning of operatives for an attack in the homeland," the report said.
In presenting the report to Congress, US intelligence chief Mike McConnell also said that plots uncovered in New Jersey and Illinois this year "highlights the diverse threat posed by homeland-based radical Muslims inspired by extremist ideology."