AP: Government Report Concludes Al Qaeda Now as Strong as in Summer of 2001

[brettdale]

"Sorry its from Faux"

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,289028,00.html

WASHINGTON — U.S. intelligence analysts have concluded Al Qaeda has rebuilt its operating capability to a level not seen since just before the 2001 terrorist attacks, The Associated Press has learned.

The conclusion suggests that the group that launched the most devastating terror attack on the United States has been able to rebuild despite nearly six years of bombings, war and other tactics aimed at crippling it.

Still, numerous government officials say they know of no specific, credible threat of a new attack.

A counterterrorism official familiar with a five-page summary of the new government threat assessment called it a stark appraisal that will be discussed at the White House on Thursday as part of a broader meeting on an upcoming National Intelligence Estimate.

The official and others spoke on condition of anonymity because the secret report remains classified.

Counterterrorism analysts produced the document, titled "Al Qaeda better positioned to strike the West." The document pays special heed to the terror group's safe haven in Pakistan and makes a range of observations about the threat posed to the United States and its allies, officials said.

[walldude]

1. Fighting them over there while they build up everywhere else..

Good plan :eyes:

[NC_Nurse]

2. WHAT? We're not winning the war on terror by attacking Iraq?

Where there were no terrorists? I'm shocked. :eyes:

[AndyA]

3. They're tying up all the loose ends now, making it all come together.

Chertoff has that "feeling" that something is going to happen.

Bush warns us to beware...terra is everywhere...they're out to get us Murkins.

They like the summer months, dontcha know.

God, how I hate these disgusting objects. They aren't human. I wish the Mother Ship would come back and take their sorry asses home, they don't belong here on Earth.

[Ghost in the Machine]

12. hey now, don't be trying to pawn these creatures off on us aliens..

we don't want them either! Send them back to the bowels of the earth where they came from...

[aquart]

4. Wow, Homeland Security hasn't done much, has it.

Nor have the billions and billions we gave Halliburton for Bush's wars.

[frylock]

5. get ready for the next FAKE foiled terrorist plot..

either that, or another one of those "catastrophic and catalyzing events, like a new Pearl Harbor." I'll take MIHOP for $1000, Alex.

[Parche]

6. Al-Kida

So the CIA is still strong??? :shrug:

[spanone]

7. from the fair & balanced folks at fauxnews...don't be fooled again

[PetrusMonsFormicarum]

8. Agreed

Whether al Qaeda is or is not up to its pre-9/11 snuff, this is more of the same old shite from the jackasses at Fox who can't even get a hard-on (yeah, you too, Coulter) without thinking about body armor or IEDs (did I say booty armor and IUDs?)

[jeff30997]

9. Wow,big surprize...

The Bushies have done everything to grow their numbers so...

[msongs]

10. looks like bush and cheney are failures does it not? nt

[Disturbed]

11. "War On Terror" another miserable Failure!

Fighting the Iraq Insurgency and the Taliban has diluted
the fight against al Q. The plan was to take over the natural gas in Afghanistan and the Oil in Iraq. Fighting al Q was a sideline.

[Zucca]

13. 17 people is all it really took.

So Al Queda has 17 more people willing to do a suicide run? Ok maybe thats to simple, I mean it took a few people to help support this operation too. Think about it though...Timothy McVeigh had what ,,,one or two other guys? Basically Al Queda has always had enough people here to attack in some fashion, I think they have not done so because attacks in extremely close time frames might draw their whole region a whole lot of unwanted attention...most of it attached to the ends of missile and quite unhealthy. Say Al Queda hit us on 911, then did another attack a year later and another few in the next year...Do you think the nuclear option might be a whole lot more appealing to our citizens? Japan attacked us with Pearl Harbor and they were as you recall religious zealots who would "fight til the last man dies" ......However...that changed quickly once the bombs dropped. I am a lifelong democrat and DO NOT SUPPORT the Iraq war (it is for profit for Bush's peers) However, if 911 was repeated quickly, I would fully support stopping the terrorist BY ANY MEANS necessary. I would most likely support a plan such as this...You give the people 48 hours to evacuate Mecca or Medina and you nuke it....Fair warning....They hit symbolic targets, we must respond in kind. Bush did not respond correctly in my opinion. He should never have gone to Iraq, He should have stayed in Afghanistan and possibly went in to Pakistan to kill Bin Laden. The first attack should have been a message to all of us...These people hold no lives sacred. Let me tell you something, If attacks on the scale of 911 happen again...In quick succession, I will be screaming for whomever is president to nuke Medina and warn them first (evacuation is humane but destroying a holy city sends a message) Also tell them that any further attacks and Mecca is next. At this point I am quite certain many "innocent Arabs and Muslims" will not be so blind to the ones who are not innocent and actually turn them in in order to save their sacred places. Make NO MISTAKE WTC was a symbolic target...attacking our countries main religion...money...We will at some point be forced to attack their symbolic targets if they ever continued hitting us in such a despicable fashion.

That being said, Lets get the BLEEP out of Iraq, pull our heads out of our tails and develop the alternative energy sources that Jimmy Carter wanted to around 30 years ago...It is a shame that Ronald Reagan killed off those plans...Not being reliant on Arabia for oil would be the absolutely biggest boost to our national security I could think of.