Recent Terror plots in USA: Distraction?

So the FBI is still searching for 12 more terrorism suspects, and claim they were going to plant bombs in bust areas of New York. But Al Qaeda has had over 9 years to plot something big to terrorize the USA. And surely, if they claim they have suitcase bombs, and other nuclear devices, they would of spent these 9 years plotting something big, other than a few hundred people dying. So wouldnt it make sense that the recent Terror Situation in the USA is just to distract the FBI from the larger picture?