The Islamist terror organization that the U.S. set out to smash after 9/11 seems to be alive and well and changing tactics, relying more on home-grown terror operatives and become more media-active.
For al-Qaeda, using "home-grown" suspects is far easier in terms of having them return to their country of origin and put in place planning for attacks.
So far this threat may have manifested itself most obviously in European countries, but the US continues to worry about operatives attacking the US or entering the US from Europe.
Many European countries have visa-waiver agreements with the US, making it easier for their citizens to enter and easier for them to blend in.
CIA director Michael Hayden reiterated last week that the US intelligence community strongly believed that al-Qaeda's central leadership was "planning high-impact plots against the US homeland".
Al-Qaeda has "protected or regenerated key elements of its homeland attack capability" from its safe haven in Pakistan, he said. ...
It is in the field of information and media that the resurgence of al-Qaeda is most evident.
At least 74 videos have been released by al-Qaeda's production arm, as-Sahab, in 2007.
This is compared with only 16 in 2005 and 58 in 2006, according to the organisation IntelCenter which monitors their distribution.
Most analysts agree that it is the ideological struggle - the battle of ideas - that has become crucial in recent years, especially as al-Qaeda's sophistication in putting out its message has grown, and as it continues to try and radicalise and recruit Muslims from around the world.
Mr Hayden called the struggle to counter this jihadist ideology "the deep fight", but it is the fight which the US and its allies look least like winning at the moment.