[British chick]

This is just an observation really. I cannot believe it is nearly 2006 and al qaeda have not attempted a followup to 9/11. Although I fully expect an attack before the end of the year, if there is not one it does cause me to question why.

Either al qaeda has been seriously disrupted and cannot muster any sort of attack at all or they have something big in the pipeline. I fear it's the latter. If there was nothing major planned I think we would have seen a spate of minor suicide bombings or low grade attacks.

Any thoughts?

[brucecw]

I'm sure that your thoughts mirror those of a lot of people.

I'm not sure what would be so special about reaching the end of 2005 without a new major attack; I think that Ramadan 2006 might be a more relevant date by which we'd expect to see a major attack.

[ExSoldier]

Although I have no doubt that we have degraded AQ's ability to conduct future operations...I do worry about all the terrorists that have slipped across our borders (north and south) in the past several years and become sleepers. I worry about the potential for a WMD attack that may already be in motion and which recent killings of AQ leadership will probably not affect. Sleeper cells on our own home soil is like a fire and forget missile and I think the trigger got pulled months ago.

As to timing....

A friend of mine (retired 05 SpecOps) has speculated that the 2006 annual Haj (Pilgrimage to Mecca & Medina) may prove to be more volatile in terms of an attack. I kind of have this gut feeling that it's going to be big and before the New Year. The clock is ticking....

[DAVEY CROCKETT]

Any thoughts?
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IMHO I think we have seen some attacks and just don't know it.

I expect an attack some where around the end of 2008 (give or take 6 months).Election Year.