Sunday, September 24, 2006

U.S. Intelligence Report: Iraq war has worsened terror threat

Not much analysis from me needs to be added here:

----------------------------------------------------------------------
A new classified US intelligence report has concluded that the war in Iraq has helped spawn a new wave of Islamic radicalism and made the overall terrorist threat worse, leading US newspapers have reported.

The findings contained in the National Intelligence Estimate appear to be in stark contradiction with recent claims by President George W. Bush and other top administration officials that victory in Iraq is the key to winning the global war on terror.


Titled "Trends in Global Terrorism: Implications for the United States," the intelligence estimate is the first formal appraisal of global terrorism by US intelligence agencies since the Iraq war began and represents a consensus view of the 16 different spy services inside the government, The New York Times said citing unnamed officials who have read the report.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

It's gonna be hard for the White House and war supporters to downplay the findings of 16 intelligence agencies.

So what exactly do they say has happened?

----------------------------------------------------------------------
"The estimate concludes that the radical Islamic movement has expanded from a core of Qaeda operatives and affiliated groups to include a new class of 'self-generating' cells inspired by al Qaeda's leadership but without any direct connection to Osama bin Laden or his top lieutenants," the newspaper said.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Oh crap. Of course, some thought this might happen:

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Some of the estimate's conclusions confirm predictions in a January 2003 National Intelligence Council report that said a war in Iraq might increase support for political Islam worldwide, according to the newspaper.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Unfortunately, they were ignored. Now we all pay the price.

3 comments:

Nat-Wu said...

Yes, but at least we're taking the fight to them!

Alexander Wolfe said...

This only proves the need to give the President the authority for "alternative techniques" of interrogation.

Of course, how we got to this point is mere water under the bridge, right?

Bravo 2-1 said...

The sad thing is, none of this is new.