Al-Qaida regrouping to carry out attacks - senators

Al-Qaida terrorists appear to be regrouping to carry out attacks, and pose a serious threat with or without Osama bin Laden, US congressmen have warned.

Bin Laden’s agents appear to be more capable of attacking Americans than they were a month or two ago, said Democratic Senator Bob Graham, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

‘‘They could hit us any day,’’ said Senator Richard Shelby, the committee’s top Republican.

There have been several uncorroborated warnings issued recently, including that al-Qaida could use fuel tanker trucks against Jewish interests in the US.

And officials have yet to establish the authenticity of an audio tape which emerged over the weekend.

It in, bin Laden associate Sulaiman Abu Ghaith said the al-Qaida leader and most of the network’s other top figures are alive and ready to attack again.

Graham said he was not surprised there had been an announcement that the man blamed for the September 11 attacks was still alive: ‘‘That is the best assessment of US intelligence.’’

He added that bin Laden might be in Pakistan’s western tribal lands.

But regardless of bin Laden’s fate, al-Qaida appears to be regrouping.

While US officials have pointed to numerous signs of al-Qaida activity, they have questioned whether the network still has the command structure or communications to plan something from the top.

They believe mid-level operatives are doing their own hasty planning with whatever tools they can - and the result could be more frequent but less sophisticated attacks than before.

But new Afghan President Hamid Karzai sounded a note of confidence about the progress made against al-Qaida and the Taliban in his country.

‘‘They are a defeated force,’’ he said. ‘‘They are on the run. Individuals might be plotting terrorism, but basically, they are criminals in hiding.’’

Karzai dismissed bin Laden: ‘‘His days are anyway numbered.’’