Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Pligganease]

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Al Qaeda is the strongest it has been since the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, a new U.S. government analysis concludes, according to a senior government official who has seen it.

Despite a campaign of military action and counterterrorism operations, al Qaeda has regained its strength and found safe haven in the tribal areas of Pakistan, the report says, according to counterterrorism officials familiar with the report.

The five-page intelligence analysis remains classified and was prepared for senior U.S. policymakers. It was not issued in response to a specific threat.

Two intelligence officials said the report's finding are similar to what is expected to be in the National Intelligence Estimate anticipated to be released later this summer. The NIE is the intelligence community's collective analysis of pressing national security issues.

The White House's view is that "over the past six years, we have prevented attacks from al Qaeda by taking the fight to them," a senior administration official said. "But they are an enemy that adapts."

This new report backs up warnings by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and other officials that al Qaeda remains a serious threat and that the United States is vulnerable despite the numerous security changes made since September 11, 2001. Watch Chertoff explain his "gut feeling" �

Chertoff said Wednesday, however, that there is no "specific, credible information" that terrorist attacks on the United States are imminent.

In a House Armed Services Committee hearing Wednesday, several senior intelligence officials talked about how the terrorist group has found refuge in parts of Pakistan.

"We actually see the al Qaeda central being resurgent in their role in planning operations," John Kringen, head of the CIA's intelligence directorate, testified at the hearing Wednesday. "They seem to be fairly well settled into the safe haven in the ungoverned spaces of Pakistan there. We see more training. We see more money. We see more communications."

Thomas Fingar, deputy director of national intelligence, told lawmakers that al Qaeda leaders hiding in Pakistan are able to maintain relationships "with affiliates throughout the Middle East, North and East Africa and Europe."

In a statement, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said it was no surprise al Qaeda has been able to reorganize and rebuild "given President Bush's stubborn dedication to keeping our overextended military mired in an Iraqi civil war."

"It is a travesty that Osama bin Laden remains at large nearly six years after the 9/11 attacks and appears to have found new sanctuary to operate freely in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border regions," Reid said. "The Bush administration and most congressional Republicans would rather stubbornly stick with a flawed strategy and fight a war that senior military leaders say cannot be won militarily, than adapt to fighting the enemy who attacked us six years ago."

In recent weeks, counterterrorism authorities have expressed concern about the possibility of another attack on U.S. soil, saying several factors, such as the thwarted terror plots in Britain, have them on edge.

The FBI has created a small group of agents and analysts to examine new threats and leads over the summer, a bureau official told CNN. The group, which was created several weeks ago, is supplementing what agents and others are also doing in field offices across the country and is an example of how the government is trying to make sure no credible lead is missed, the official said.

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The Bush plan ain't getting it done. How many people have to tell our government this before they get the picture?

So far, all we've done is give too much power to the worst administration in recent history, destroy too much credibility abroad, create more enemies, fight the wrong war, eliminate more of our personal freedoms and rights, and embolden those who hate us.

I used to give Bush & Co. the benefit of the doubt. Now, I'm just giving them the doubt.

[Tiger Beer]

completly ineffective.. we're down about 3000 soldiers and counting.

Fighting something as abstract as a worldwide 'war on terror' with military might on the ground of a Muslim city where there was no terrorism.. *sigh*

[thepeel]

Somebody please define for me what, exactly, victory would look like.

[Pligganease]

[Joo Rip Gwa Rhhee]

How often has the CIA been correct as of late?


Victory would look like Al Qaeda supporters being killed by mideast regimes.

Anyone notice that a few years ago there were terror attacks against foreigners in Saudi Arabia but Saudi Arabia put an end to it.

[Kuros]

The poll is different from the question in the thread.

Al Qaeda is certainly weaker than it was fresh after the attacks, but that does not mean the War on Terror is succeeding.

[pkang0202]

[Summer Wine]

I am not sure I agree that you are losing it for this reason.

Radical Islam is becoming more known for what it is on a global scale and what it believes in. It is more identifiable and thus more targetable. Also the moderate muslims are having to face it, before it snuck around under the radar and they could say "well its ok, they are just misunderstood".

No longer, we understand them pretty well. Knowing your enemy is the first step to defeating it. Moderate muslims now know that they can't expect to be treated well. Western nations know that they can't give in to them and expect to survive.

They are being understood more and they are acting in ways that are placing themselves in the corner. Will you win it in the next year or two? No, thats a given, but win it we must or live with the consequences. Actions are now being taken to win, whether socially or militarily and that is taking the battle to them as much as they are taking it to us.

If radicalism had continued quietly, they could have increased their growth to a point where all Islam was radical before taking action but they didn't. They acted to inflame the muslim world and have placed themselves in visible state and are failing. Its difficult to see, I know.

Its like looking at a war, when you focus on a single battle it looks bad. Its when the war is over that it looks like a success. The US may run away from Iraq, but then they will be attacked on their home soil again and again. The citizens will realise they can't run and then massive support will occur.

At the moment, its like the first years of the war against Nazism. 1939 -1941 when it looked like a real loser. Sorry to say it, but just because Greece, France, Algeria, Libya were lost along with Malaysia, China etc. didn't mean that in the long term it wasn't winnable. Its going to take a while.

But, moderate muslims, buddhists, communists, federalists, Liberals, christians, athiests etc. understand that we can't afford to lose and let radical Islam win. Therefore are we winning? Yes, because we now know what will happen if we lose and therefore we can't do anything but win.

[Joo Rip Gwa Rhhee]

That new report doesn't make sense. The CIA knows so much about Al Qaedas power but they can't do anything against them?

6 years and not an attack against the US. Is it cause AQ isn't trying.

[jkelly80]

[Joo Rip Gwa Rhhee]

[Summer Wine]

I had a discussion in 1999 with friends who were stating that they supported some of AQ's objectives. They felt that he was misunderstood, but they said that AQ had helped defeat the Soviets and that it proved the US could be defeated.

Therefore if the US cuts and runs, what will they think?

[Satori]

I always thought more focus should have been placed on hunting down Bin Laden and killing him and all his leadership.

[twg]

[contrarian]

As long as they are busy killing each other we are winning.