News Page |
 |
 |
'Future al-Qaeda plots harder to foil' |
Latest News |
Future attacks will be harder to detect and stop as al-Qaeda deepens its knowledge about US defence systems and how to get past them, the head of US national intelligence warned. "What concerns me most now is not only stopping the types of attacks of the past, but also anticipating and stopping the different, more cunning attacks of the future," the director of national intelligence, Dennis Blair, said in a letter to staff. "Al-Qaeda and its affiliate organisations, as well as individual suicide terrorists, have observed our defences and are designing future attacks to circumvent them ... These attacks will be even harder to uncover, interpret, and stop." The letter comes as US President Barack Obama prepared to read two initial reports into the thwarted Christmas Day bombing of a Northwest airplane on a flight from Amsterdam to Detroit. "It has been an especially challenging week for the intelligence community and the nation," Blair wrote, saying that even though the attack did not succeed "it reminds us that our mission to protect Americans is unending". Obama ordered two reviews into the security lapses that allowed a Nigerian, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, 23, to allegedly sneak on board the flight with explosives stitched into his underwear. Officials believe tragedy was averted only because the makeshift detonator failed to work properly before fellow passengers jumped on the would-be bomber. Blair wrote to national intelligence staff that "the president was direct in his assessment that intelligence failures were a contributing factor in the escalation of this threat. "This is a tough message for us to receive. But we have received it, and now we must move forward and respond as a team." He vowed his office would review what mistakes were made, and said: "I have no doubt in our ability to close the gaps that these attacks exposed." And he pledged to improve the nation's defences and anticipate other attacks. "We are an adaptive, learning organisation. We can and must outthink, outwork, and defeat the enemy's new ideas," he said. |
| 2010-01-01 |
- That Aston's back without a bingle 2010-01-01
- Road rage: man fights for life 2010-01-01
- 'Future al-Qaeda plots harder to foil' 2010-01-01
- Kokoda Track claims second Australian 2009-10-05
- NSW leads way in job ads rise 2009-10-05
- Fifth Australian dies in Samoa 2009-10-05
- Australia foils terrorist plot to attack army base 2009-08-04
- Pulled under car: victim unidentifiable 2009-08-04
- Thief thanks police for rescuing him 2009-08-04
- Cheating husband's genitals glued 2009-08-04
- Hey Hey, iconic TV show might be back 2009-07-25
- Boffins work on synthetic brain 2009-07-25
- Mobile camera plan to cut road toll 2009-07-25
- CommBank 'losing war' against fraud 2009-06-02
- Sydney artist 'bashed by neighbour' 2009-06-02
- Police shooting: one dead 2009-06-02
- Bridge motorists change habits 2009-03-05
- Latest police weapon: a secret search 2009-03-05
- Flooded regions declared disaster zones 2009-02-19
- Second Knox teacher charged 2009-02-19
- Dad charged over bridge death 2009-01-29
- Chain of fools: escapees poleaxed 2009-01-29
- Schoolboys filmed sex attack on girl 2009-01-29
- Lost in desert: tourist's lucky call 2009-01-23
- Man to be sentenced for extortion 2009-01-23
- Woman charged over 'gothic kittens' 2009-01-23
- Bondi body mystery: who was he? 2009-01-23
- Toddler mauled in face by dog 2009-01-19
- Seven dead as church roof caves in 2009-01-19
- Car park plunge 'no freak accident' 2009-01-19
- Last lotto ticket wins $US10m 2009-01-04
- Three killed in powerful quakes 2009-01-04
- Sharks force swimmers from sea 2009-01-04
- Hamas urges suicide bombings 2009-01-03
- Revealed: children play in toxic sludge 2009-01-03
- A generation lost 2009-01-03
- Young Australian sues over drug arrest 2008-12-09
- Shot boy: father arrested 2008-12-09
- Jet came straight at me: Aussie 2008-12-09
- Telstra users left holding exposed lines 2008-12-09
- Tunnel vision heads NSW dash for cash 2008-12-09
- Facebook scandal shames students 2008-12-09
- Shooting: police hunt 81-year-old 2008-11-22
- Man critical after balcony fall 2008-11-22
- Miraculous survival as storm hit 2008-11-17
- Volunteer firefighter 'lit 13 fires' 2008-11-17
- Son bitten, wife smitten: Doctor scandal 2008-11-17
- 'Hold-up couple' arrested 2008-11-17
- Four dead in plane crash 2008-11-08
- Elbowed: Gambhir banned one match 2008-10-31
- Inmates break and exit 2008-10-31
- Rudd and Keating battle over Gallipoli 2008-10-31
- Worst month for Aussie stocks since '87 2008-10-31
- Casino escapes drinking blitz 2008-10-31
- Nursing sex inquiry widens 2008-10-31
- Grieving mother visits death site 2008-10-31
- AC/DC back in black but not Britain 2008-10-28
- Sex twist in balcony plunge 2008-10-28
- Sam Newman's fat new fee 2008-10-26
- Hackett dives into federal politics 2008-10-26
- Sex predator hunts under-age models 2008-10-26
- Royal Marine jailed 2008-10-25
- Teen 'causes $20,000 graffiti damage' 2008-10-25
- Oscar actress's family slain 2008-10-25
- Extradited over stabbing attack 2008-10-25
- Ford Wins 2008-10-12
- Paltalk bans 2008-10-17