Rep. Peter King, R-NY

Rep. Peter King, R-NY Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP file photo

Lawmaker: al-Qaida bomb plot shows ‘new level of sophistication’

It's wrong to say the war on terrorism is over or al-Qaida is defeated, House Homeland Security chairman tells CNN.

Just hours after U.S. officials disclosed that an al-Qaida plot to build a potentially undetectable airline bomb had been thwarted, Rep. Peter King, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said the operation is no longer a threat but shows a “new level of sophistication.”

The plot “shows that al-Qaida and its affiliates can metastasize and morph,” said King, R-N.Y., on CNN’s Starting Point on Tuesday. “That’s why it’s wrong when people in the national arena somehow say the war on terrorism is over or al-Qaida is defeated.

He added: "We have to constantly stay with them and ahead of them.”