Gee, Graham has either been absent from the Intel Committee meetings, is incompetently forgetful, or is outright lying about us neglecting other terrorist threats to focus only on Iraq.
NewsMax.com WiresWASHINGTON – U.S. intelligence agencies and their allies disrupted terrorist threats, including some from al-Qaeda against U.S. troops in the Persian Gulf area, during the war against Iraq, U.S. officials have told United Press International.
Tuesday, April 22, 2003
"There were a number of disruptions to terrorist efforts around the world over the last month or so," a U.S. intelligence official told UPI. "Rolled up is probably too precise a phrase," the official, who requested anonymity, went on. "If you think of it as someone snuffing out a burning fuse, that's not the case, but people who were planning bad things have ended up getting deported or arrested or detained."
Another government official, who also asked not to be named, confirmed the account. "Al-Qaeda plots against U.S. troops in the gulf were disrupted during the war."
Rep. Porter J. Goss, R-Fla., the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said: "I'm not going to be specific, but yes, there have been disruptions. I won't say what disruptions where, and I won't say when."
Disruption is an intelligence term of art. "It means a plan was interfered with. It didn't take place," said Vincent Cannistraro, former counter-terrorism chief for the CIA. "You don't necessarily [apprehend] everyone involved - you may not get anyone - but the people who were going to do something are not able to do it for one reason or another."
Other U.S. officials point out that this has been happening almost continuously since the Sept. 11, 2001. They stress that threats are disrupted almost every day.
Analysts concur. "Al-Qaeda members are constantly plotting against the United States," said Ben Venzke, a private sector counter-terrorism analyst who consults for U.S. government agencies. "And they are constantly having to change or abandon those plans because of the aggressive prosecution of the war on terror."