Al Qaeda remains more dangerous than ever, US defense analysts

Washington, May 2 (ANI): American defense analysts have said there are plenty of reasons to believe that Al Qaeda is still a dangerous terrorist outfit even after the death of Osama bin laden.

According to The Christian Science Monitor, defense officials described bin Laden as being 'more operationally engaged' than Zawahiri, who was an irritable micromanager.

Robert Cardillo, deputy director for intelligence integration with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, said Zawahiri did not have the charisma to attract to new recruits.

"He may not be bin Laden in his operational expertise, but the affiliates have all sworn allegiance to him," Seth Jones, a senior political scientist at the RAND Corp. and author of "Hunting in the Shadows: The Pursuit of Al Qa'ida Since 9/11, said.

And though Zawahiri lacks the "suave" operating style bin Laden possessed, he was instrumental in the "mergers and acquisition strategy" to bring Al Shabaab, the Somali terrorist group, officially under the Al Qaeda affiliate umbrella in February, Jones said.

Most important, "He has survived, and has been surviving for decades," he adds.

"I think it's definitely an open question whether we're in danger of underestimating him. (ANI)