WASHINGTON — Barack Obama and John McCain may continue to debate the merits of aggressive action overseas to protect U.S. security, but CIA Director Michael Hayden said Tuesday the United States needs to be committed to its strategy of "taking the fight to the enemy."
In an exclusive interview with FOX News, one of his last before a new White House administration takes over in January, Hayden said that the U.S. intelligence community is keeping a close eye on Afghanistan's border with Pakistan.
"All of the threats about which we are aware have threads that take them back into that Afghan/Pakistan border region, either in terms of command and control, or training, and direction," he said.
From CIA headquarters, Hayden made the case that a strong offense is the only defense in the war against Al Qaeda.
"And that's why there ... hasn't been an attack for over seven years. Again, the dynamic of our taking the fight to the enemy: making him worry about his own defense, putting him off-balance, sweeping up his operatives, drying up his money supply."
Although he pointed out that U.S. predator strikes have killed top operational commanders, Usama bin Laden still remains at large. Al Qaeda's hold is stronger now in the tribal areas of Pakistan than it was a year ago.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,431022,00.html
