Nuclear terrorism remains intelligence priority ahead of nuclear summit: U.S. intelligence analyst

WASHINGTON, March 24 (Xinhua) -- As Washington gears up to host a Nuclear Security Summit, a senior U.S. intelligence analyst said Wednesday nuclear terrorism threat remains an intelligence priority, but so far no terrorist groups have shown the ability to launch a large scale attack involving weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

Mathew Burrows, head of analysis in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, told a Washington briefing that nuclear terrorism or WMD terrorism "remains a priority area" for intelligence analysis, but so far, in terms of terrorists orchestrating a large attack, U.S. intelligence community haven't picked up any signs of that capability yet.

Burrows said the U.S. intelligence community is closely watching any signs involving nuclear or WMD terrorism, "we follow up any reports on it," but the threat of terrorists carrying out a sophisticated WMD attack is not as high as the more individual attacks.

Echoing an earlier comment made by CIA chief Leon Panetta that recent counterterrorism operations have had al-Qaida leaders "on the run," Burrows said al-Qaida's ability to mount a 9/11-style attack has vastly diminished, consistent with the notion that al-Qaida central being on the run. However, he said that doesn't mean the threat from terrorism isn't high.

"You have more individual attacks - ones that are still inspired, supported or even more directly planned by al-Qaida," he said, noting these kinds of attacks are very difficult to track in time and disrupt.

The United States has seen a spate of individual and inspired terrorism activities recently. Last Christmas, a Nigerian man tried to blow up a U.S. airliner. During the past month, five young Pakistani-American men from Northern Virginia were charged in Pakistan with planning terrorist attacks, a man from New Jersey was held by authorities in Yemen, and a Pennsylvania woman was accused of plotting to kill a Swedish cartoonist.

In addition to combating the more conventional form of terrorism, the United States is also gearing up to thwart possible nuclear terrorism activities. U.S. President Barack Obama is hosting a Nuclear Security Summit next month, seeking to secure the world's loose fissile material, so that it wouldn't fall into the hands of terrorists.