The US Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta has said that the US “is within reach of strategically defeating Al-Qaeda.” Panetta, who arrived in Afghanistan in early July, said the US has identified some of the key Al-Qaeda leadership in Pakistan, Yemen and other areas.

“If we can be successful in going after them, I think we can really undermine their ability to do any kind of planning, to be able to conduct any kind of attack on this country,” the Secretary said and added “It’s within reach. Is it going to take more work? You bet it is.”

The Secretary pointed out that there were between 10 and 20 key Al-Qaeda leaders in areas like Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia and North Africa and tracking them down would mean the defeat of the terror organisation. “We have undermined their ability to conduct 9/11-type attacks,” he said. “We have them on the run. Now is the moment, following what happened to (Osama) bin Laden to put maximum pressure on them, because I do believe if we continue this effort we can cripple Al-Qaeda as a threat.”