According to LIGNET.com , during a joint session of the House and Senate intelligence committees, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and CIA Director David Petraeus warned that although the death of Osama bin Laden and other al Qaeda leaders has weakened the terrorist organization, its affiliates and sympathizers pose an increasingly dangerous threat to the United States.

Director Clapper cited significant accomplishments in combating the risk from terrorism, most notably efforts that weakened al Qaeda, kept it off balance, killed its leaders, and made it less able to recruit, train, and deploy operatives. Clapper noted that the threat from al Qaeda-affiliated groups has grown, especially al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). Clapper raised his concerns about the rising problem of so-called home grown terrorists inspired by al Qaeda’s radical agenda. He was especially worried about English-language propaganda promoted over the internet urging attacks on the United States and providing instructions on the use of weapons, construction of explosives, and targeting ideas. Clapper said homegrown terrorists are difficult to detect and can launch attacks with little or no warning.

LIGNET.com believes the hearing “presented a persuasive case that the decline of al Qaeda and the death of Obama bin Laden has not ended threats from radical Islamist terrorism to the United States.”

Click HERE to read the full analysis of this story from LIGNET.com , a new Washington, DC-based intelligence analysis and forecasting service.