John Kerry claims al Qaeda is neutralized

On Friday, Secretary of State John Kerry claimed that al Qaeda has been neutralized. Kerry's remarks come on the same day that an al Qaeda affiliate claimed response for the attack on a Mali hotel that left over 20 people dead.

"I'm confident if we stay steady, keep our heads in thinking creatively but also being strong and committed to our fundamental values, we're going to defeat Daesh. We always said it will take time.

"We began our fight against al Qaeda in 2001 and it took us quite a few years before we were able to eliminate Osama bin Laden and the top leadership and neutralize them as an effective force. We hope to do Daesh much faster than that and we think we have an ability to do that.

"So that's the effort, and we're going to continue," Kerry claimed.