From The Daily Star:
In March, when President Barack Obama ordered the reorientation of American military attention to Afghanistan - and away from Iraq - he invoked the threat of Al-Qaeda. Echoing the rhetoric of his predecessor, Obama warned that "Al-Qaeda is actively planning attacks on the US homeland from its safe-haven in Pakistan." For the American people, the president went on, "this border region has become the most dangerous place in the world." On its face it was an immoveable assessment, black and white, a view repeated often in the eight years since 9/11. But as analysts and regional experts ponder the president's posture, shades of gray are coloring the White House's assessment.
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My Comment:They are still viable .... even with their recruitment and financial problems. Interesting .... these are the same arguments that were made about Al Qaeda from 1999 to September 10, 2001 .... and we know what happened on September 11, 2001.
We must not forget that Al Qaeda works on a long term basis, and that the seeds for the next 9/11 (which will not look like 9/11) has probably already been laid.