http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060927/pl_nm/security_usa_dc;
_ylt=AhOGd5NbWwWIP1wQlOWRdEas0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3b2NibDltBHNlYwM3MTY-
By Steve Holland
2 hours, 41 minutes ago
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An intelligence report showing an upsurge
in Islamic militancy put the White House on the defensive on
Wednesday in an election-year debate over whether President
George W. Bush has made America safer.
ADVERTISEMENT
In a second blow to the president, a new U.N. report said the
Iraq war was providing al Qaeda with a training center and fresh
recruits, and was inspiring a Taliban resurgence in Afghanistan
hundreds of miles away.
Bush ordered the release of parts of the National Intelligence
Estimate (NIE) on Tuesday to try to stamp out a political fire
after a leaked portion said the Iraq war had increased Islamic
extremism.
But a key judgment in the declassified version that could backfire
on Bush said intelligence experts believed activists identifying
themselves as jihadists "are increasing in both number and
geographic dispersion."
The report, prepared in April, also said the Iraq war had become
the "cause celebre" for jihadists, breeding a deep resentment of
U.S. involvement in the Muslim world and cultivating supporters
for the global jihadist movement."
The U.N. report released on Wednesday jibed with the NEI's
conclusions.
"New explosive devices are now used in Afghanistan within a
month of their first appearing in Iraq," it said. "And while
the Taliban have not been found fighting outside
Afghanistan/Pakistan, there have been reports of them
training in both Iraq and Somalia."
The U.N. report was prepared by terrorism experts for the
Security Council,
COMBATIVE SESSION
The White House has scrambled to try to explain the
intelligence assessment, given Bush's September 7 claim
that "America is winning the war on terror."
Spokesman Tony Snow insisted during a combative session with
reporters that the United States and allies had made great
gains against al Qaeda, including taking out key leaders,
taking away a safe haven in Afghanistan and attacking its
financial support.
He said even if the United States had not been fighting the
Iraq war, the threat from Islamic extremists would still exist,
given the attacks attributed to al Qaeda before September 11.
After a high-profile series of speeches by Bush marking the
fifth anniversary of the September 11 attacks, Republicans had
felt better about their chances of holding on to both houses
of the U.S. Congress in November 7 elections.
The question now is whether that momentum will be stalled by
an intelligence report both sides are battling to use to their
advantage.
Democrats tried to raise doubts about Bush's handling of the
war on terrorism.
"The president likes to say 'we're winning the war on terror'
but now the American people can read for themselves that the
intelligence community believes something different: The war
in Iraq is increasing the threat of terrorism at home and around
the world," said Democratic National Committee Chairman
Howard Dean.
Republican strategist Scott Reed said a debate over terrorism
helps Republicans. "Any day Republicans can keep it on terrorism
and taxes is a winner," he said.
Democrats also called on Bush to release the entire National
Intelligence Estimate after the White House declassified
only 3-1/2 pages.
The White House refused, saying to do so would reveal sources
and methods of intelligence collection, put agents at risk and
imperil relations with foreign governments.
At the same time, California Rep. Jane Harman, senior Democrat
on the House intelligence committee, accused the Bush administration
of holding back until after the election a new NIE being prepared
on Iraq.
Snow said Harman was "just flat wrong," that the report was not
even in a draft form and would take time to complete.
(Additional reporting by Thomas Ferraro, Tabassum Zakaria,
Matt Spetalnick, David Morgan, Vicki Allen and Irwin Arieff)
.
|
|
| User: "Woodswun" |
|
| Title: Re: Bush contends with 2 reports refuting Iraq gains |
27 Sep 2006 08:52:34 PM |
|
|
On Wed, 27 Sep 2006 20:17:39 -0500, Perseid wrote:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060927/pl_nm/security_usa_dc;
_ylt=AhOGd5NbWwWIP1wQlOWRdEas0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3b2NibDltBHNlYwM3MTY-
By Steve Holland
2 hours, 41 minutes ago
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An intelligence report showing an upsurge
in Islamic militancy put the White House on the defensive on
Wednesday in an election-year debate over whether President
George W. Bush has made America safer.
ADVERTISEMENT
In a second blow to the president, a new U.N. report said the
Iraq war was providing al Qaeda with a training center and fresh
recruits, and was inspiring a Taliban resurgence in Afghanistan
hundreds of miles away.
Bush ordered the release of parts of the National Intelligence
Estimate (NIE) on Tuesday to try to stamp out a political fire
after a leaked portion said the Iraq war had increased Islamic
extremism.
But a key judgment in the declassified version that could backfire
on Bush said intelligence experts believed activists identifying
themselves as jihadists "are increasing in both number and
geographic dispersion."
The obvious conclusion is that the rest of the report has got to be pretty
damning if Bush thinks the portion that he declassified makes his policies
look good in comparison.
Woods
.
|
|
|
| User: "John Lemke" |
|
| Title: Re: Bush contends with 2 reports refuting Iraq gains |
27 Sep 2006 10:42:35 PM |
|
|
"Woodswun" <woodswun@tepidmail.com> wrote in message
news:pan.2006.09.28.01.52.33.68065@tepidmail.com...
On Wed, 27 Sep 2006 20:17:39 -0500, Perseid wrote:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060927/pl_nm/security_usa_dc;
_ylt=AhOGd5NbWwWIP1wQlOWRdEas0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3b2NibDltBHNlYwM3MTY-
By Steve Holland
2 hours, 41 minutes ago
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An intelligence report showing an upsurge
in Islamic militancy put the White House on the defensive on
Wednesday in an election-year debate over whether President
George W. Bush has made America safer.
ADVERTISEMENT
In a second blow to the president, a new U.N. report said the
Iraq war was providing al Qaeda with a training center and fresh
recruits, and was inspiring a Taliban resurgence in Afghanistan
hundreds of miles away.
Bush ordered the release of parts of the National Intelligence
Estimate (NIE) on Tuesday to try to stamp out a political fire
after a leaked portion said the Iraq war had increased Islamic
extremism.
But a key judgment in the declassified version that could backfire
on Bush said intelligence experts believed activists identifying
themselves as jihadists "are increasing in both number and
geographic dispersion."
The obvious conclusion is that the rest of the report has got to be pretty
damning if Bush thinks the portion that he declassified makes his policies
look good in comparison.
Woods
The whole thing should be released to the public seeing how the October 2002
NIE was creatively declassified and released to the public. Bush was proven
a liar in that one.
The truth, as we're all finding out, makes it difficult to win the war on
terror.
.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Related Articles |
|
|
