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Global politics behind thwarted Al Qaeda plot

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    Dealing with terrorist threats from abroad

  • Duration 5:21
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You're welcome Peter Brooks is joining us now is a former CIA officer -- -- senior fellow for national security affairs at The Heritage Foundation Peter quick thoughts in my.

Catherine just finished with there that maybe there's some politics going on in some mixed messages from different agencies -- thank.

Well we have to be very careful of that we can't let politics get in the way of our national security policy and -- and -- our national security.

Regardless of what's going on India.

Political sphere around the world we clearly -- we're living in in dangerous times people who suggest that we're in a post 9/11 era I think are mistaken.

We're still -- the cross -- -- -- terrorist groups associated with al-Qaeda even though Osama bin Laden -- gone this al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is probably -- most dangerous al-Qaeda affiliate out there they're not only had this plot to undergo -- we're at this -- going along they also hold territory in Yemen.

And in fact the day before are about the same time that this -- picked up they raided an army yet many army base and killed soldiers and stole weapons so this is a formidable.

Threat to the United States and two others around the world.

-- let's bring up that map guys by the way we had a map that they should -- yemenis it's always nice reminder selves about the geography.

-- Yemen Peter.

Yeah it's it's reported that this device was found outside Yemen three other countries are involved.

What countries.

Well I would imagine that that's probably somebody like Saudi Arabia.

I would think that they probably had our very concerned about what's going nine Yemen remember -- a number of years ago Saudi Arabia had a significant al-Qaeda problem.

They think really crack down a lot of those people that -- in Saudi Arabia.

Fled to fled to Yemen so Saudi Arabia is obviously very concerned I'm not clear on who the other countries might be -- -- you know get these al-Qaeda operatives mover around quite a bit you know who could be Pakistan I mean we've had that we have that problem there it could be you know could be Egypt could be Jordan could be a rock.

I mean al-Qaeda could be vocal could be on the African cotton and member of Boca her rob could be -- -- Bob in Somalia so I really don't have any information on that.

But al-Qaeda is out there and it's dangerous and it's obviously transnational because.

As you mentioned this they said -- went beyond Yemen itself -- -- been a lot of focus and Yemen we talked about it numerous times -- as well as it being a new at the center for al-Qaeda.

But when you look at Yemen it we have to remind our our viewers that it's -- its -- impoverished country.

45% of the country lives on less than two dollars today so if the bad guys -- there.

They have to have money coming from elsewhere to fund their operations it is have to do so where where is that money I think for them.

Who's supporting them well that's that's.

Well I mean that they're getting it from a number of a different ways the same way to be doing we've made.

Great pride you know it could be through individuals.

You know hopefully not through government but that's always a possibility.

They do fund raising I mean you see a terrorist groups like Hezbollah and Hamas operating in South America.

Four and raising funds to be sent back to places like the Gaza Strip and -- -- so this is a global challenge and dealing with terrorism finance is important.

While it doesn't take a lot of money.

To pull off a terrorist operation it usually does take some and -- if you have an organization I've got -- to rebates -- which is planning training and operating they have training camps in Yemen.

It does take some money and so one of the ways to get at them is obviously.

To not only what we did the other day would you would drone strikes as well let's say -- seizing guys seizing the bombs but also -- to cut off their funding so critically important we do that it's a multi factored approach to terrorism and like I said once again -- complacency for us.

Is a huge mistake.

You mentioned the -- -- this -- going back to that again the issues of the saudis because you mentioned that potentially they could be involved we don't have any information about.

At this time -- -- but just because of the proximity of these countries it -- have been helpful in certain areas to go after some of these terrorists.

But we also have to remember that a lot of the 9/11 hijackers were -- saudis and this issue -- Saudi Arabia has never been truly reconciled.

In the last ten years of our war on terror so is it possible that some of the finding.

For -- and al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula still coming from Saudi Arabia.

That certainly it certainly a possibility I don't have any particular knowledge of that there could be individuals who work for funding them.

He yelled this is something we have to we have to get that and this is where international cooperation is so critically important.

I think the saudis had a wake up call you don't the last the 68 years about what was going on in their own country no threat from al-Qaeda they crack down and as you mentioned they tried to kill lit the counterterrorism.

Chief of in Saudi Arabia this particular group al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

So international cooperation is is critically important that if there are sources of funding for groups suck up Saudi Arabian Peninsula or -- -- Bob -- both over robber al-Qaeda in Iraq.

For the -- -- or other places that they crack down on it and that comes down to not only yet.

Counterterrorism cooperation but diplomatic efforts on the part of the United States to ensure that these folks are not just partners sometimes but allies all the time in fighting terror.

Peter -- -- -- foundation Peter nice to have you thank you very much thank you very much.

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