Remember back then we thought about al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan and a few other places? well, we've seen al Qaeda metastasize. It is now a global scourge. And you have the ascendancy of ISIL. The combination of those two groups -- their appeal to the lone wolfs and we see them acting in Belgium and in France and in Canada and the United States so the threat factors and the nature of the threats are far more complicated and far more serious today than on September 12, 2001.
Tom RidgeI don't think there's a city that has done more and sustained a higher level of security and protection than New York City.
Tom RidgeCredible reporting indicates that Al Qaeda is moving forward with its plans to carry out a large-scale attack in the United States in an effort to disrupt our democratic process.
Tom RidgeIt's not how high we jump off our feet in church, it's what we do with them when we hit the ground!
Tom Ridge