Washington: CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) Director George Tenet warned lawmakers today (Feb 24, 2004) that despite damage to al-Qaeda's leadership, the United States remained at significant risk of attack from terrorists intent on obtaining "catastrophic weapons".

In a report to the US Senate Intelligence Committee, Tenet said intelligence services had uncovered "chilling" plots to attack Americans, including plans to recruit pilots and evade security in Europe, Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

"Even catastrophic attacks on the scale of September 11th remain within al-Qaeda's reach," he said. "Make no mistake: these plots are hatched abroad, but they target US soil and that of our allies."

The Central Intelligence Agency chief also said that although the United States had captured several members of al-Qaeda's leadership, the spread of its ideology ensured a continuing threat.

"The steady growth of Osama bin Laden's anti-US sentiment through the wider Sunni extremist movement and the broad dissemination of al-Qeada's destructive expertise ensure that a serious threat will remain for the foreseeable future - with or without al-Qaeada in the picture," he said.

He noted other groups share bin Laden's worldview but are not under his direction.