http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/05/20040526-4.html:grouphug:
Q Scott, back on terror for a second. Has the President been advised that al Qaeda operatives are actually within the borders of the United States plotting attacks?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, we receive, as I pointed out, a constant stream of intelligence reporting, and the recent intelligence reporting has pointed to the possibility of attacks during the time period I mentioned. In terms of the possibility of terrorists being here in the United States, we have to work under the assumption that there are terrorists here. And the intelligence reporting we have seen from time to time indicates that there may well be people in place ready to carry out attacks. But we do not have specific information about the timing, or target, or nature of those attacks.
:grouphug:
Q Is there anything more concrete than an assumption or a belief that they may actually be in this country?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, there are individuals that were al Qaeda operatives that we've apprehended in the past. And certainly, before the September 11th attacks, there was an al Qaeda cell in the United States plotting to carry out that attack. And we know the terrorists continue to want to harm America, or harm American citizens abroad, and that is why we have to work under the assumption that there are operatives here in the United States wanting to carry out attacks.
Q But you have nothing definitive that there actually is a cell that you may have identified?
MR. McCLELLAN: That's why I said -- well, that's why I said that we've received reporting from time to time that suggests that there are operatives in the United States. And we have to work under that assumption, and that's what we will continue to do as we remain very vigilant in the way we approach these threats and try to stop these threats from happening in the first place.
:grouphug: