Spy Agencies: Iraq War Hurts "War on Terror"

The National Intelligence Estimate has concluded in a 30-page report that the war in Iraq, has had the opposite effect intended with the War on Terrorism. The Iraqi war has created more terrorists, and provided inspiration for many more, faster than the intelligence community can work to reduce the War on Terror. Though intelligence networks agree that Al-Qaeda has had many thwarted plans and has been drastically damaged, other networks have been building up.



So what gives? How can the president keep saying that this war is working, when it is showing more and more not to be working? Sure you get a little bit of Al-Qaeda, but you aren't doing much if others are springing up as soon as you cut one head from the hydra. Soldiers and civilians die every day because of this war, and more will die in the future if we have created extra terrorist networks.

Actually this report was not to be released yet. Now the Administration will be doing its best to fix the PO damage that it will do.

I guess when is elections times any littler dirty trick will do.

I love how both sides play so dirty.

Yes the report will more inflame the people that has change opinions about how the war in Iraq is going.

Well, Marg, even though with my intention of bias in the initial of the story when it came to my spin on the topic, I can put all politics aside and still say this is a very bad thing. The thought of us creating more problems is a pain in the backside, to put it mildly.

It's a shame that this has happened as far as I'm concerned, though I am against this war wholeheartedly, I cannot stand to even see that this could impact the opponents to this issue from my opinion, if it involves creating terrorists.

Of course, we knew that this would create terrorists, so this is only really a further solidification of my views on what this war would do.

niteboy82

I am glad that you brought it up, this is something definitely that needs to be talk about.

But is a conspiracy about the report, somebody released too early. But is now in the news and it will bring a lot of debate about how reliable is.

You know that is going to affect public opinion, something that is not good for congress elections.

But the fact that is very negative what is going on in Iraq it merits a lots of attention.

Good find and great thread.

I'm not worried as much about the elections this November as I am the future of our WoT... for what that is worth.

Though I believe that Osama is a boogeyman, and whatnot, this is more serious. These are actual terrorists we are creating, by creating terror upon these people. What else can you expect when the bomb kills their mommy and daddy in front of their eyes of five-year-olds? Of course they will hate Americans. They are young, and they are impressionable. This will definitely leave an impression, nor could I blame them for that.

Just another show of why this war was stupid to begin with. My only wishes now for this war is that the Iraqi people know there are those that don't want their hardship, the soldiers to know that I care for them (they are following orders, ie their job), and Dave Rabbit to be ok there!

Sorry, but I follow Rabbit's goings on, and am proud to have exchanged conversation with the man, and proud that he is a member of ATS.

Someone said - and it's a while ago - these wise words:
"For every terrorist killed, five new are born" (anybody knows who said it?)

This report establishes for the first time this as a fact of intelligence.

My mind is bugged by a president doing this to his people, acting against all intelligence. It stinks of more than spin. It IS a conspiracy against the very foundation of the American people, the Constitution of the United States of America.

What George "double trouble" Bush does to America is worse than what Josef Stalin did to Russia.

Pardon my biasing, I just had to get it out.

[edit on 24/9/06 by khunmoon]

Oh well so much for the republicans are the only ones who know how to make America safe from terrorists ploy to win the mid-terms HUH? Oh I am shedding crocodile tears. Poor Karl Rove he's lost his ace in the hole....time to raise the alert level.

niteboy82,

Looks like we are running parallel threads...

Check out my post at 'Increased Threat of Terrorism Worldwide'

the first formal examination of global terrorist trends written by the National Intelligence Council since the March 2003 invasion

The first report examining global terrorist trends since 2003.
You would think that it would be a priority to have a couple more reports on this subject, considering the gravity of the situation.

This ill conceived war of terror based on lies and deceit is fueling world terrorism; it doesn't take a scientist or analyst to understand that simple truth.

[edit on 25/9/06 by shanti23]

Well it seems that the white house is already making comments that the report is not a full report.

Occurs the PO machine is going to try to undo some of the damage that report is going to do.

Oh the spin machines are running high, marg, you're right! Just as I thought, the only option was to make the report seem like something "unimportant."

A grave spin added by Shanti is the fact that this is the first report since 2003! I wonder how they'll spin that one. Let me guess, "We just don't spend that much time thinking about the terrorists..."

I can see it now. :shk:

Reuters

The conduct of the Iraq war fuelled Islamic fundamentalism across the globe and created more enemies for the United States, a retired U.S. Army general who served in the conflict said on Monday.

The views of retired Army Maj. Gen. John Batiste buttressed an assessment by U.S. intelligence agencies, which intelligence officials said concluded the war had inspired Islamist extremists and made the militant movement more dangerous.

The Iraq conflict, which began in March 2003, made "America arguably less safe now than it was on September 11, 2001," Batiste, who commanded the 1st Infantry Division in Iraq in 2004-2005, told a hearing on the war called by U.S. Senate Democrats.

"If we had seriously laid out and considered the full range of requirements for the war in Iraq, we would likely have taken a different course of action that would have maintained a clear focus on our main effort in Afghanistan, not fuelled Islamic fundamentalism across the globe, and not created more enemies than there were insurgents," Batiste said.

I guess Retired Generals are also Speaking out against War on Terrorism!

Judging by his words, America (and the World) is Much more UN-Safe then before 9-11.

Great Work for the Bush Administration!

like expected the PO machine is trying to get to the root of the leaded clisified report.

Bush said media accounts of the report "create confusion in the minds" of Americans and suggested the report had been leaked for political purposes.

www.cnn.com...

I guess the rest of the report will show fix the damage.

If Bush isn't the war monger he appears to be, then he needs to seriously drop all his advisors like a cat hacks a furball.

Once he has wretched them free from his innards, he needs to take a step back, go talk with some older presidents (not his dad) and get some better advice...

For him NOT to see this coming a mile away, means that he has stopped thinking for himself, and has become a Cheneybot..

Psssst, Bush...listen close...
take a piece of advice from the heartland...
dont listen to your advisors... they dont have Americans interests at heart...
they are moved by money... and there is still a very big part of America that keeps the rest afloat, that is moved by truth...
and they see thru the lies of your advisors...
Iraq isn't about security, its about money... come clean on that, or the heartland will stun you with its support switch.
Get us to the diplomatic table with islamic countries, or you will go down in history as the most war mongering president in History.
Just a little advice from a real american...

Bush said. "We're not going to let lies and propaganda by the enemy dictate how we win this war."

Having a different opinion on the realities of our current situation officially makes you an 'enemy'.

It is side splitting pants peeing funny listening to Bush bemoan others trying to decieve the American public and trying to influence the upcoming election.

Can't really blame him though as the septic system that holds all his Bullhooey in is leaking like a sieve.

These wrong wing neo-cons are masters of projection...if you really want to know what they are up to listen to what they accuse liberals and democrats of.

Hey, whaddayaknow!

Now even the White House is saying, War on Terror, CREATES Terror!

White House admits Iraq fuels extremism

The White House acknowledged Monday that Iraq was among several factors that "fuel the spread of jihadism," but said that winning the war would dishearten potential terrorists.

Spokesman Tony Snow sought to challenge news reports on Sunday about the latest National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq and terrorism, which represents the comprehensive consensus findings of the 16 US intelligence agencies.

"It assesses that a variety of factors, in addition to Iraq, fuel the spread of jihadism, including longstanding social grievances, slowness of the pace of reform, and the use of the Internet," he told reporters.

Sure took them a LONG time to realize that...

[edit on 27/9/06 by Souljah]

Well between the dimmest president in history, the most ineffectual sec. of state ever and an insufferably arrogant sec. of defense and a vice president who channels darth vader what the hell do you expect? Brain surgeons?

i see it more interesting that now was the time to declassify parts of the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) document ~ which existed since APRIL '06

Negroponte & President Bush authorized partial declassification for some reason...

it seems to me that the NIE documents conclusion there is an actual increase of Jihadists or 'terrorists/insurgents', because of US forces in the Middle East
is not a condemnation of the administrations war policies in Iraq
But can be seen as a rally cry,
in that the war-on-terror is the proper mechanism to deal with the radical Muslim zealots...who had already struck American barracks, and American Embassies and the American USS Cole and the American cities of NYC, and DC during the 9-11 attacks.

The foundation, the basis for 'overt terrorist activity' was already existant
(probably since the US Embassy in Iran, hostage situation)
bolder and more deadly actions by Jihadists, 'terrorists' was anticipated
and was expected to grow...therefore a War-on-Terror was rationalized
and made into policy....after the homeland attacks on 9/11 '01.

I see the NIE revelation as a political maneuver to continue and even up-scale the War-on-Terror, seeing how the terror threat is growing- whether the US is in Iraq or not.....
the message the administration is pushing seems to be:
It's no longer an option to even think about pulling out of the middle east/Iraq/WoT
(...or of not supporting Israel from it's Arab adversaries)

Oh, yes...
the stage is set... and the scripts are given...

The republicans are going to claim, that these terrorists were always out there, and we just flushed them out...

and obviously, the democrats are going to point out that our actions in iraq have created more terrorists

I hate to say it, but the two sided coin once again has a distinct winner...
and everyone loves a winner...