02-23-2002, 06:26 PM
TALLAHASSEE, Florida (CNN) -- Dozens of al Qaeda terrorists in "sleeper" cells and members of other terrorist groups pose a threat within the United States, according to the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee.
"The estimate is that there are 100 or more al Qaeda operatives inside the United States, some who have been here for a considerable period of time, all of whom went through a training process to prepare them to carry out terrorist plots when they were called upon to do so," U.S. Sen. Bob Graham, D-Florida, said Friday on CNN's "Novak, Hunt and Shields."
"That probably is the most immediate threat of a terrorist attack against the United States."
In addition, there are perhaps a dozen or more other international terrorist organizations that also have agents inside the United States, he said.
"The estimate is that there are 100 or more al Qaeda operatives inside the United States, some who have been here for a considerable period of time, all of whom went through a training process to prepare them to carry out terrorist plots when they were called upon to do so," U.S. Sen. Bob Graham, D-Florida, said Friday on CNN's "Novak, Hunt and Shields."
"That probably is the most immediate threat of a terrorist attack against the United States."
In addition, there are perhaps a dozen or more other international terrorist organizations that also have agents inside the United States, he said.