rests highlight risk of attacks in U.S.* Concern individuals leaving U.S. for militant camps WASHINGTON, Sept 30 (Reuters) - Top Obama administration officials on Wednesday said recent arrests in alleged bombing plots highlight the challenges they face combating "self-radicalized, homegrown extremists" as well
as foreigners in the United States determined to carry out attacks.Najibullah Zazi, an Afghan-born man living legally in Colorado, was charged last week with planning a bombing attack in the United States, and a Jordanian man who overstayed a visa permit was accused of trying to bomb a Dallas skyscraper.Those and other recent arrests have prompted alerts to law enforcement agencies to step up vigilance on transit syste
ms, in luxury hotels and at sports stadiums.However, authorities have repeatedly said they do not believe an attack is imminent and have declined to raise the threat assessment from the current "elevated" level.The officials told the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee that al Qaeda still poses 
a threat -- although a reduced one -- and that they must also focus on affiliated groups and homegrown militants."These episodes have shown that the threat of terrorism can come from people in many different areas of the country with a broad range of backgrounds," Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told the panel.While the case involving the Jordanian man and another bombing plot involving an American who is accused of trying to bl
ow up an Illinois co
urthouse were sting operations, officials stressed that they are sometimes hard to uncover."These cases illustrate not only the threats, but the challenges presented by the self-radicalized, homegrown extremists," said FBI Director Robert Mueller.He also said that he was concerned that al Qaeda, which was behind the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, has been trying to draw in people from Europe and other Westerners who could more easily slip into the United Stat
es."For the last several years, we have picked up intelligence that al Qaeda has made a concer
ted effort to recruit Europeans and Westerners understanding that they can fly under the radar in terms of passing through border controls," Mueller said.Mueller and the head of the National Counterterrorism Center, Michael Leiter, also expressed concern that militant groups are recruiting individuals like Somali immigrants in the United States to receive weapons training in overseas camps."Over the past several years, travel of Westerners, particularly U.S. citizens, to either Pakistan or Somalia has been our single biggest concern," Leiter said. (Reporting by Jeremy Pelofsky; Editing 
by Xavier Briand)
as foreigners in the United States determined to carry out attacks.Najibullah Zazi, an Afghan-born man living legally in Colorado, was charged last week with planning a bombing attack in the United States, and a Jordanian man who overstayed a visa permit was accused of trying to bomb a Dallas skyscraper.Those and other recent arrests have prompted alerts to law enforcement agencies to step up vigilance on transit syste
ms, in luxury hotels and at sports stadiums.However, authorities have repeatedly said they do not believe an attack is imminent and have declined to raise the threat assessment from the current "elevated" level.The officials told the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee that al Qaeda still poses 
a threat -- although a reduced one -- and that they must also focus on affiliated groups and homegrown militants."These episodes have shown that the threat of terrorism can come from people in many different areas of the country with a broad range of backgrounds," Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told the panel.While the case involving the Jordanian man and another bombing plot involving an American who is accused of trying to bl
ow up an Illinois co
urthouse were sting operations, officials stressed that they are sometimes hard to uncover."These cases illustrate not only the threats, but the challenges presented by the self-radicalized, homegrown extremists," said FBI Director Robert Mueller.He also said that he was concerned that al Qaeda, which was behind the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, has been trying to draw in people from Europe and other Westerners who could more easily slip into the United Stat
es."For the last several years, we have picked up intelligence that al Qaeda has made a concer
ted effort to recruit Europeans and Westerners understanding that they can fly under the radar in terms of passing through border controls," Mueller said.Mueller and the head of the National Counterterrorism Center, Michael Leiter, also expressed concern that militant groups are recruiting individuals like Somali immigrants in the United States to receive weapons training in overseas camps."Over the past several years, travel of Westerners, particularly U.S. citizens, to either Pakistan or Somalia has been our single biggest concern," Leiter said. (Reporting by Jeremy Pelofsky; Editing 
by Xavier Briand)Related Store ...
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Public's help needed in terror fight, Napolitano says..Welcome on board! We been calling for a long 
time.
time. 
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