The risk of just one terrorist with just one nuclear weapon is a risk we simply cannot afford to take.

Throughout my career, I had the great fortune to experience firsthand as well as to witness what it means to be a CIA officer.

The United States is the first nation to regularly conduct strikes using remotely piloted aircraft in an armed conflict. Other nations also possess this technology. Many more nations are seeking it, and more will succeed in acquiring it.

The risk of just one terrorist with just one nuclear weapon is a risk we simply cannot afford to take.

Al-Qa'ida does not follow a traditional command structure, wear uniforms, carry its arms openly, or mass its troops at the borders of the nations it attacks. Nonetheless, it possesses the demonstrated capability to strike with little notice and cause significant civilian or military casualties.

We are in this business, whether it be intelligence or the government, to protect freedom, democracy and liberty, not to violate that.

We know from the material that was recovered from the bin Laden compound that bin Laden was looking at the 10th anniversary of 9/11 as an opportunity to strike yet again at the U.S. homeland.