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CONSEQUENCES AS AL QAEDA IS
LEAVING U.S. INTELLIGENCE
SCRAMBLING.
>> Reporter: U.S. INTELLIGENCE
OFFICIALS ARE STILL DEALING WITH
THE FALL OUT OVER A TERRORIST
PLOT AND HOW IT WAS UNVEILED.
>> ANYBODY WHO'S LOOKING AT
THESE STORIES KNOWS THAT THE
PARTICULAR METHOD THEY WERE
USING TO COMMUNICATE HAS BEEN
COMPROMISED.
>> Reporter: THE SHUT DOWN OF
CONSULATES LAST MONTH BECAUSE OF
AN EMINENT THE TERROR ATTACK.
NEWS REPORTS REVEAL THE SOURCE.
AN INTERCEPTED COMMUNICATION
BETWEEN TWO OF AL QAEDA'S TOP
LEADERS.
>> THERE WAS SOME ABILITY FOR
THEM TO REACH OUT TO AL QAEDA IN
YEMEN AND HAVE SOME MEANINGFUL
DISCUSSION.
>> Reporter: AL QAEDA'S
CONFERENCE CALL WASN'T DONE OVER
THE PHONE.
THEY USED A SECURE INTERNET
MESSAGING SYSTEM, WITH VARIOUS
ENCRYPTED ACCOUNTS.
COURIERS LIKELY UPLOADED MISS
ANDS TO THESE ACCOUNTS.
BUT SINCE THE VERY PUBLIC
REVELATION THAT THE U.S. WAS
ABLE TO INTERCEPT THOSE MESSAGE,
INTELLIGENCE OFFICIALS HAVE SEEN
A DROP IN HOW MUCH AL QAEDA USES
THE SYSTEM.
A U.S. OFFICIAL SAYS IT'S A
PROBLEM ANYTIME YOU CALL
ATTENTION TO A SPECIFIC CHANNEL.
WE HAVE TO CHASE THESE GUY WHEN
IS THEY GO TO DIFFERENT
CHANNELS, AND OUR HOPE IS THEY
DON'T GO TO OTHERS THAT ARE
INACCESSIBLE TO US.
>> THEY KNOW THERE'S A BREACH
SOMEWHERE.
THEY'VE GOT TO FIND IT.
THEY'VE GOT TO CLOSE IT DOWN.
>> Reporter: CYBER EXPERT JIM
LEWIS SAYS IT'S NOT EASY FOR THE
U.S. TO ACCESS THESE SIT YSTEMST
CAN TAKE A COMBINATION OF AGENTS
AND HACKING.
>> IT CAN TAKE MONTH DOES
REBUILD THAT LEVEL OF ACCESS.
>> DID THIS LEAK DO AS MUCH
DAMAGE AS THE REVELATIONS OF
EDWARD SNOWDEN?
>> Reporter: I JUST TALKED TO AN
OFFICIAL WHO SAID IF THERE IN
IS, IT'S APPLES AND ORANGES.
SNOWDEN CAUSED LONG-TERM DAMAGE.
THIS ONE HE SAYS WAS A MOMENT IN
TIME.
SOMETIMES AL QAEDA GETS SPOOKED.
THEY GO AWAY FROM A CHANNEL.
THEN THEY COME BACK TO IT.
SOMETIMES THINGS HAPPEN IN THE
WORLD THAT FORCE THEM BACK TO
CHANNELS THAT THE U.S. HAS BERT
ACCESS TO.