Iraq War Has Increased The Danger to U.S. From Terrorism (America, verse)

[doppelgänger]

From the "'Well . . . duh!' Files" comes this one:

Spy Agencies Say Iraq War Hurting U.S. Terror Fight

Says whom? The "National Intelligence Estimate," a joint report assembled by the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency (and 14 other federal intelligence agencies), i.e. the "eyes and ears" of our country on matters of national security.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...092301130.html

A 30-page National Intelligence Estimate completed in April cites the "centrality" of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, and the insurgency that has followed, as the leading inspiration for new Islamic extremist networks and cells that are united by little more than an anti-Western agenda. It concludes that, rather than contributing to eventual victory in the global counterterrorism struggle, the situation in Iraq has worsened the U.S. position, according to officials familiar with the classified document.

"It's a very candid assessment," one intelligence official said yesterday of the estimate, the first formal examination of global terrorist trends written by the National Intelligence Council since the March 2003 invasion. "It's stating the obvious."

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/25/wo.../25terror.html

The intelligence estimate, an assessment by America’s 16 intelligence agencies, found that the war in Iraq, rather than stemming the growth of terrorism, had helped fuel its spread across the globe.


The estimate was completed in April, and is the first formal review of global terrorism by the United States since the Iraq war began. More than a dozen government officials and terrorism experts described the estimate to The New York Times, but spoke on condition of anonymity because its contents are classified.

More from the Post:

The NIE, whose contents were first reported by the New York Times, coincides with public statements by senior intelligence officials describing a different kind of conflict than the one outlined by President Bush in a series of recent speeches marking the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

"Together with our coalition partners," Bush said in an address earlier this month to the Military Officers Association of America, "we've removed terrorist sanctuaries, disrupted their finances, killed and captured key operatives, broken up terrorist cells in America and other nations, and stopped new attacks before they're carried out. We're on the offense against the terrorists on every battlefront, and we'll accept nothing less than complete victory."


But the battlefronts intelligence analysts depict are far more impenetrable and difficult, if not impossible, to combat with the standard tools of warfare.
Although intelligence officials agree that the United States has seriously damaged the leadership of al-Qaeda and disrupted its ability to plan and direct major operations, radical Islamic networks have spread and decentralized.

[Sunstone]

The greatest victory that Al Qaeda scored in the last few years was our invasion of Iraq. For every terrorist we kill there, we create five more terrorists. It's a great way to show 'em we mean business.

[Buttercup]

I certainly don't see how anyone could say we are more safe than 5 years ago. I think it's quite plain to see that we've ticked off a whole lot more extremists with invading Iraq.

[kai]

Originally Posted by Buttercup

I certainly don't see how anyone could say we are more safe than 5 years ago. I think it's quite plain to see that we've ticked off a whole lot more extremists with invading Iraq.

well you are a lot safer because security is higher everywhere since 9/11 its harder for them to get you.

[Ezzedean]

Interesting verse from the Quran.

2:11-12

Check it out if you have a chance. I'd type it, but it angered people last time.

[greatcalgarian]

I am more interested to read the full report


Story Highlights

• NEW: White House says releasing full intelligence report would endanger lives
• Democrats call for full release of report, other report focused on Iraq
• Both parties say intelligence report supports Iraq, terrorism policies
• Report says combating jihadists requires more than killing their leaders
http://edition.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS....ap/index.html

[kai]

i wonder where all the jihadis were before the invasion of Iraq?

[Booko]

Originally Posted by kai

well you are a lot safer because security is higher everywhere since 9/11 its harder for them to get you.

Oh yeah, security is so much safer.

This summer when our family crossed over into Canada, the border guard on the Canadian side asked for ID for me and my husband, actually looked into the van to see the kids in the back, and asked us questions.

On our return, the US border guard asked us what our citizenship was, didn't look in the back of the van (tinted windows, you can't see through the side very well at all), and asked for NO id at all. NONE. nada. nihil. etc.

Oh yeah...I fell SOoooo much safer....all these years after 9/11 and we can't even be bothered to check anyone's ID.

But hey...I can't carry mascara on board an airplane. I might blow someone up with my foundation!

Oh yeah! I feel bloody well safer!