Al Qaeda is Growing Threat to U.S.

NEW YORK -- Six years after September 11, today?s intelligence report calls al-Qaeda as big a threat to Americans as at any time since.

"The organization is resilient and continues to plot attacks against high-profile targets with the objective of inflicting mass casualties," said Deputy Director of National Intelligence Thomas Fingar.

Officials say al-Qaeda now relies heavily on the Internet, to fund-raise, recruit and spread propaganda.

According to a former al-Qaeda member, to NBC?s Richard Engel, "Now you can get that ideology anywhere, on the Internet, in Afghanistan, so I think they're more dangerous than before," said Khalid Suliman, Former al-Qaeda fighter.

As for Osama Bin Laden, the report says from his likely hideout along the Afghan-Pakistan border, he's inspired al-Qaeda spinoffs worldwide, like the doctors in last month's U.K. bomb plots, thought to have bought into the group's goals, but working on their own.

Democrats in Congress call Iraq a distraction while al-Qaeda rebuilds

"It's clear we need a change of course in the war in Iraq today, not sixty days from now," said Majority Leader, Senator Harry Reid, (D) Nevada.

The White House calls it central.

"People now who see the Americans and the Iraqis working side by side are saying, we're going after al-Qaeda," said White House Spokesman Tony Snow.

Still the elusive, chief threat to Americans' safety.

Today, as Congress receives the latest intelligence assessment, Senate Democrats plan an all-night debate on Iraq, and then will force a vote on pullout. They call it determination; GOP leaders in Washington call it a stunt.