Al-Qaeda Threat Worse Than Before 9/11

Al-Qaeda has revived and is capable of pulling off another 9/11, a London think tank has concluded. The US has “failed to deal a death blow to al-Qaeda,” which has extended its influence and is now stronger than it was six years ago, the British strategic institute warned at a press conference yesterday.

The group is said to have consolidated its base in the mountains of Pakistan and among jihadist groups in Iraq and North Africa, the Guardian reports. "The organization's ideology appears to have taken root to such a degree that it will require decades to eradicate."  The Iraq war has also weakened US influence to the point where there may be no way to prevent Iran building a nuclear weapon as soon as 2009, they warn. (More Pakistan stories.)