Negroponte Highlights U.S. Successes Intelligence View That War Is Increasing Terror Is 'Fraction of Judgments,' He Says The conclusion of U.S. intelligence analysts that the Iraq war has increased the threat from terrorism is only "a fraction of judgments" in a newly disclosed National Intelligence Estimate, Director of National Intelligence John D. Negroponte said yesterday. The NIE, completed in April, reflects the consensus view of 16 government intelligence services, including the CIA. The Washington Post, New York Times and Los Angeles Times reported yesterday that the classified document concludes that the invasion and occupation of Iraq has fueled Islamic extremism and contributed to the spread of terrorist cells. "What we have said, time and again, is that while there is much that remains to be done in the war on terror, we have achieved some notable successes against the global jihadist threat," Negroponte said in a statement. "The conclusions of the intelligence community are designed to be comprehensive, and viewing them through the narrow prism of a fraction of judgments distorts the broad framework they create." Democrats yesterday seized on the intelligence community's assessment. The document, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (Mass.) said in a statement, "should be the final nail in the coffin for President Bush's phony argument about the Iraq war." Rep. Jane Harman (Calif.), the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said on CNN's "Late Edition": "Even capturing the remaining top al-Qaeda leadership isn't going to prevent copycat cells, and it isn't going to change a failed policy in Iraq." But leading Senate Republicans said that the intelligence finding shouldn't cause the United States to abandon military operations in Iraq. "We need to prevail in Iraq and . . . if we fail, then our problems will be much more complicated," Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) said on CBS's "Face the Nation." http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/24/AR2006092400986.html Waiting comments from the usual DP Political Analysts!
OK thanks for kicking off the posts I imagine the Bush lovers will soon be in here kicking a**! And the democrats will arrive too Lets get it on
War and peace are the most serious issues facing a president and a nation. Unfortunately Bush has been misleading the US public with regard to the war in Iraq. I'm a big believer in facing and fighting Islamic radical terrorism. Inronically, this war in Iraq, which Bush manufactured, has only made things worse for the West. Dave
Hmm, so how exactly do you plan to do that in countries where there are hundreds of thousands of fanatics everywhere ready to attack Westerners somewhere? I guess you'd be the expert who can look a Muslim in the eyes and know for a fact whether he is a radical or a cool dude, huh?
While we are bogged down in Iraq, we really have no chance in going to many other countries without being spread too thin. How does Iraq solve the problem in other countries? It really helped in Afghanistan, huh?
Thanks Waiting for some of the " focus on how Bush justified the war rather than talk about solutions for the war" guys to make their usual comments now
Well, with an American mindset your post makes sense. But looking at the leaders in Syria and Hezbollah in Lebanon, I can assure you that everyone over there is waiting for something to use to tell their people how America is getting scared and going down. To them it's Islam against Infidels. At least that is how they are selling their terrorist attacks to their citizens.
Those dudes are still working hard 'in the bar' or in the 'sniffing n snorting corner' they will be along soon
Unfortunatly, I agree with that. However, I think it is a result of them seeing a leader lie to america and fail to have a plan to succeed. That fuels the argument of Iran, for instance, to say, kiss our ass we don't need inspections. This is the Bush way of inciting fear that he used in Iraq. We are good people just like americans and we are the honest ones. The cover up is always worse then the original lie. This is going to get more and more out of control as he plays cards that have already lost the hand over and over with the "stay the course" garbage.
But besides the disagreements over our President, isn't it the most important thing to continue what's been started and do so successfully?
That is too simplistic an argument. Of course everyone would say yes. I just read an article in the dentists chair today that discusses exactly that. When americans are presented with do you want to fail or succeed, they say yes. When presented with do you want to win or lose, guess what we say? We say win of course. However, with nothing more then stay the course and no progress being made on the table and with the lack of progress obvious to I think it was 63% of americans and many repubican politicians even, a simplistic rally for what we want natually is not a solution nor a means to an end. We need a means to an end. We need to be available to address the ever mounting problems in the rest of the world regarding terror. The terrorists see we are not able to spread oursleves out as a result of being bogged down in IRAQ and having spent 333 BILLION dollars there and are in the process of expoliting it. That alone tells me we are not slowing down or putting a dent in the prevelance of terror. This is mearly common sense. It has nothing to do with a party affliation. Anyone that argues this is not common sense and is a party cry is a blind loyalist manifesting a lost cause.
It's important that terrorism is uprooted by methods that they are so familiar with these insurgents. Meaning stop holding back with eradicating this scum, the politicians should tone down the diplomatic rhetoric they don't understand that anyway The most effective way is to 'take the gloves' and just take the terrorists out period, no trials, no negotiating, just simply 'take them out'
You gotta wonder why Bush won't do that though. He was willing to throw the interrogation clauses of the Geneva Convetion out the window to get information. But balked for compromise when told, and I gotta wonder why it was not obvious, Um, George, then they can do that to our guys and we can't complain. Like DUH! My point being, why is he not "taking off the gloves" where we can?
I find the tough guy stuff hilarious, havn't you realized we can't tell which are innocent and which are terrorist? Unless you want to just mass kill innocents, your solution cannot work.
You know...if Clinton didn't cut our military in half, we wouldn't be 'thin'. Let's have a reserve army...wtf!?
haha...you could look at that way too...lmao. I've never really wanted the war, but hell...we're in it.
its not that army can't beat people, the smaller army can trounce any army on the planet except china. its just that small army cannot occupy as well