Counterterrorism chief underscores Yemeni cleric's power to radicalize Americans online

Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), the alleged mastermind behind a thwarted October plot to bomb U.S.-bound planes, represents the greatest threat to the U.S. homeland and its leader is the most influential proselytizer on the Internet, the national counterterrorism center director said on Wednesday.

Anwar al Aulaqi, a dual U.S.-Yemeni citizen and AQAP cleric, is inciting foreign and homegrown terrorism, said Michael E. Leiter, the center's director, during a House Homeland Security Committee hearing on considerations for the 112th Congress.

When asked by committee Chairman Peter King, R-N.Y., whether al Aulaqi is at least as severe a threat as Osama bin Laden, Leiter answered, "Actually, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, with al Aulaqi as the leader within that organization, is probably the most significant risk to the U.S. homeland."

And al Aulaqi likely is the best at radicalizing Americans through the Internet, Leiter noted.

"Al Aulaqi is the most well-known English-speaking ideologue who is speaking directly to folks here in the homeland," Leiter said. "I think al Aulaqi probably does have the greatest audience on the Internet, so in that sense he is the most important" terrorist on the Web.

The Homeland Security Department must change information-sharing tactics to deter the more recent terrorist activities organized by radicalized Westerners versus the kind planned by Afghanistan-based al Qaeda cells, according to DHS officials.

"We have seen the rise of a number of terrorist groups inspired by al Qaeda ideology . . . that are placing a growing emphasis on recruiting individuals who are either Westerners, or have connections to the West but who do not have strong links to terrorist groups and are thus more difficult for authorities to identify," DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano testified during the same hearing. "More and more, state, local and tribal front-line law enforcement officers are most likely to notice the first signs of terrorist activity."

Faisal Shahzad, who tried to trigger a bomb in Times Square last May, is just one product of the new extremism, Napolitano noted.

Homeland Security is coordinating with the Justice Department to expand the so-called Nationwide Suspicious Activity Reporting Initiative, which is a standardized system for recording irregular behavior. It allows the federal government to identify connections between local incidents and national trends -- and lets all jurisdictions share information.

The reporting initiative is under way at 33 sites that cover two-thirds of the U.S. population and should be deployed nationwide by September, Napolitano said.

On a related topic, she said, "One area that is really not up to bat today but is one we need to watch out for is the whole world of cyber and cybersecurity and how that is going to interconnect with the terrorist threat."

Increasingly, sophisticated English-language propaganda aimed at guiding extremists on how to carry out U.S. attacks is easily accessible via the Internet, Leiter testified.

"English-language Web forums also foster a sense of community and further indoctrinate new recruits, both of which can lead to increased levels of violent activity," he added.

Since September, AQAP has posted three issues of Inspire -- the group's English-language online magazine -- including a November special edition that "glorified" AQAP's foiled October cargo attack, Leiter said.

"Homegrown radicalization is a growing threat and one we cannot ignore," King said. "This shift, as far as I'm concerned is a game changer that presents a serious challenge to law enforcement and the intelligence community." He added the committee expects to hold a hearing on the topic next month.

Ranking member Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., urged his colleagues to exercise restraint in pursuing terrorists overseas amid a wave of democratic protests that could ultimately mitigate threats.

"We must recognize that this predominantly Muslim area of the world is seeking to embrace democracy," he said. "Let us take care that nothing we do or say here today works to undermine those efforts."

Thompson added, "The United States -- the world's only remaining superpower -- occupies a providential position. If we take the right action, many of our concerns about a terrorist threat from this region could be significantly reduced."