Terrorists are not 100 feet tall. Nor do they deserve the abject fear they seek to instill.

Al-Qa'ida is the antithesis of the peace, tolerance and humanity that is at the heart of Islam.

By the time President Obama took office, Guantánamo was viewed internationally as a symbol of a counterterrorism approach that flouted our laws and strayed from our values, undercutting the perceived legitimacy - and therefore the effectiveness - of our efforts.

We are a nation of laws, and we will always act within the bounds of the law.

President Obama is determined that our foreign and national security policies not play into al-Qa'ida's strategy or its warped ideology. Al-Qa'ida seeks to terrorize us into retreating from the world stage. But President Obama has made it a priority to renew American leadership in the world, strengthening our alliances and deepening partnerships.

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

Simply stated, the need for accurate intelligence and prescient analysis from CIA has never been greater than it is in 2013 - or than it will be in the coming years.