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Obama: 'Lone Wolf Terrorist' Now Biggest Threat


U.S. President Barack Obama
U.S. President Barack Obama
U.S. President Barack Obama says that what he calls a "lone wolf terrorist," like the shooter in the recent massacre in Norway, is now a bigger potential threat to
the United States than a large-scale operation that could be mounted by an organized terrorist group.

In an interview with CNN, Obama said "one person who is deranged or driven by a hateful ideology" can do a lot of damage.

He said it's a lot harder for authorities to "trace those lone wolf operators."

Obama added that what he called "extraordinary progress" has been made in the past decade to degrade the capabilities of Al-Qaeda, the Islamist militant group blamed for carrying out the September 11, 2001, hijacking attacks in the United States.

Obama said authorities are in a heightened state of awareness about possible attack risks as the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks is marked next month.

In Norway, a 32-year-old man has been charged with carrying out last month's bombing and shooting rampage that killed 77 people.

compiled from agency reports

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