U.S. Says Al-Qaeda Suffers Setbacks, Remains Resilient

The U.S. State Department released a report today that said the Al-Qaeda terrorist network "suffered several significant setbacks" in 2009 but remains "an adaptable and resilient terrorist group whose desire to attack the United States and U.S. interests abroad remains strong."

The annual report said that in 2009 Al-Qaeda found it "tougher to raise money, train recruits, and plan attacks" outside the Pakistan and Afghanistan region.

The report said Al-Qaeda "was more dispersed in recent years" and noted the group has become more active in northwest Africa and Somalia.

The document said terrorist attacks were down in 2009. According to the report, terrorists carried out almost 11,000 attacks in 2009 that killed up to 15,000 people.

That is down from the peak year -- 2006 -- when there were almost 14,500 attacks that killed more than 22,700 people.

compiled from agency reports