Posted on 07/12/2007 3:18:50 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON - Al-Qaida is stepping up its efforts to sneak terror operatives into the United States and has acquired most of the capabilities it needs to strike here, according to a new U.S. intelligence assessment, The Associated Press has learned.
The draft National Intelligence Estimate is expected to paint an ever-more-worrisome portrait of al-Qaida's ability to use its base along the Pakistan-Afghan border to launch and inspire attacks, even as Bush administration officials say the U.S. is safer nearly six years into the war on terror.
Among the key findings of the classified estimate, which is still in draft form and must be approved by all 16 U.S. spy agencies:
• Al-Qaida is probably still pursuing chemical, biological or nuclear weapons and would use them if its operatives developed sufficient capability.
• The terror group has been able to restore three of the four key tools it would need to launch an attack on U.S. soil: a safe haven in Pakistan's tribal areas, operational lieutenants and senior leaders. It could not immediately be learned what the missing fourth element is.
• The group will bolster its efforts to position operatives inside U.S. borders. In public statements, U.S. officials have expressed concern about the ease with which people can enter the United States through Europe because of a program that allows most Europeans to enter without visas.
The document also discusses increasing concern about individuals already inside the United States who are adopting an extremist brand of Islam.
National Intelligence Estimates are the most authoritative written judgments that reflect the consensus long-term thinking of senior intelligence analysts.
Government officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the report has not been finalized, described it as an expansive look at potential threats within the United States and said it required the cooperation of a number of national security agencies, including the CIA, FBI, Homeland Security Department and National Counterterrorism Center.
National security officials met at the White House on Thursday about the intelligence estimate and related counterterrorism issues. The tentative plan is to release a declassified version of the report and brief Congress on Tuesday, one government official said.
Ross Feinstein, spokesman for National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell, declined to discuss the document's specific contents. But he said it would be consistent with statements made by senior government officials at congressional hearings and elsewhere.
The estimate echoes the findings of another analysis prepared by the National Counterterrorism Center earlier this year and disclosed publicly on Wednesday. That report — titled "Al-Qaida better positioned to strike the West" — found the terrorist group is "considerably operationally stronger than a year ago" and has "regrouped to an extent not seen since 2001," a counterterrorism official familiar with the reports findings told The Associated Press.
On Thursday, news of the counterterrorism center's threat assessment renewed the political debate about the nature of the al-Qaida threat and whether U.S. actions — in Iraq in particular — have made the U.S. safer from terrorism.
At a news conference Thursday, President Bush acknowledged al-Qaida's continuing threat to the United States and used the new report as evidence his administration's policies are on the right course.
"The same folks that are bombing innocent people in Iraq were the ones who attacked us in America on Sept. 11," he said. "That's why what happens in Iraq matters to security here at home."
Yet Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., said Iraq has distracted the United States. He said the U.S. should have finished off al-Qaida in 2002 and 2003 along the Afghan-Pakistan border.
Instead, "President Bush chose to invade Iraq, thereby diverting our military and intelligence resources away from the real war on terrorism," Rockefeller said. "Threats to the United States homeland are not emanating from Iraq. They are coming from al-Qaida leadership."
He called for the U.S. to end its involvement in what he called the Iraqi civil war.
In recent weeks, senior national security officials have been increasingly worried about an al-Qaida attack in the United States.
Appearing on a half-dozen morning TV shows Thursday, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff laid out a list of factors contributing to his "gut feeling" that the nation faces a higher risk of attack this summer: al-Qaida's increased freedom to train in South Asia, a flurry of public statements from the network's leadership, a history of summertime attacks, a broader range of attacks in North Africa and Europe, and homegrown terrorism increasing in Europe.
"Europe could become a platform for an attack against this country," Chertoff told CNN, although he and others continue to say they know of no specific, credible information pointing to an attack here.
National security officials are frustrated by an agreement last year between Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf and tribal leaders in western Pakistan, which gave tribes near the Afghan border greater autonomy and has led to increased al-Qaida activity in the region.
Nevertheless, Bush administration officials still view Musharraf as a partner.
Speaking to a congressional hearing, Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher said that Pakistan under Musharraf has captured more al-Qaida operatives than any other country and that several major Taliban leaders were captured or killed this year.
"There is a considerable al-Qaida presence at the border, but they are under pressure," Boucher told a House national security subcommittee.
Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Tenn., was skeptical, saying Osama bin-Laden and other terrorist leaders apparently feel safe there. "Is this a Motel 6 for terrorists?" he asked.
___
Associated Press writers Matthew Lee, Lara Jakes Jordan, Barry Schweid and Deb Riechmann contributed to this report.
I would argue that it is more like looking for 5 terrorists in a population of 300,000,000.
I don’t know about you but if there’s another attack here in America I’m for unloading everything we got where every they hide. Then we can sit and discuss the issues!
Look if that is your serious concern finding the illegals including any possible terrorists then why for the love of God didn’t you give DHS a chance to do that with the Bill that was in front of Congress... That would have started us on the road to identification ... now you use the issue to lash out... Again pure Emotion .. typical liberal antics.
don’t think anyone said anything about a wall.
Securing all of the borders and throwing the illegals out is the job of the federal government, and they are failing.
There are no national security experts on the region - oh yea maybe a few "book educated" guys sitting in some obscure think tank somewhere - and they might happen to pop over for an 18 month assignment now and then - but the reality is that probably 99% of US intelligence comes from foreign governments - who are not always our friends - despite what many in Washington think. People and governments have their own agendas and 9 times out of 10 they ain't the same as the States. Stringing along the Americans has become a pastime for some people over here - they joke about the new station chief - ambassador - security people -
I remember once right after 911 someone from Virginia was over here and had met me by chance - he was an arrogant sob - investigating 911 - I still have his name card - he told me he was 'good buddies' with one of the government officials over here - the guy didn't realize that I have been close friends with the same guy for over 12 years - anyway the guy from Virginia he didn't get what he wanted, he left and later my friend spoke to me and was upset at this guy and our government - I didn't even know what to say - so many times things like that happen over here you would be amazed -
Interestingly enough, the Chinese and some of the Middle East countries have a much better intelligence network that the USA or Europe has over here.
Open the borders! Let ‘em in! It’s worth it to have a few suicide bombers if we get 10,000 undocumented slave laborers in the process!
no, because I think they are for open borders, which I am against.
I don’t get your logic. I never said one word about Democrats or Hillary/Obama. I said that open borders are good for terrorists, bad for us.
MI Ping
Well said - You got it -
Reality is our base needs to cowboy the hell up now and stop bashing our CinC - Stand firm with him regarding the WOT/Iraq - Protect our warriors down range flanks for the MSM/ DEMs in Congress (from cutting their legs out from under them).
Our base needs to show the same intensity for our warriors currently fighting this war 24/7.....as they did for the 30yr in the making problem of immigration.
If our base does not show the same intensity....with calls and emails to Washington D.C....Demanding the GOP to stand firm and behind our warriors and CinC....Then our base is shameful and of no better ilk the the DEM left (only different politics).
No I don’t employ anyone.. Anyway what the President was trying to do was exactly what he could do in this particular political environment to get something accomplished but the base got caught up in the emotion of the issue and stopped him... thats fine... but the facts are the problem exists... He certainly can’t fix it the way most conservatives want it fixed and the Democrats are happy to split the GOP with the wedge.. I have monitored this for the last couple of years... It is the one issue besides Harriet Meirs for SCOTUS that got the base rallied up... My point on all of this is that you have to try and do what you can when you can... We had our chance to get something accomplished.... now its Dead in the water so let it go... stop bashing GWB over this issue.. it is not solveable in the political climate today and that isn’t his fault... I could easily say why didn’t Newt fix this when he had majority’s in the 1990’s? Why didn’t Reagan fix it first? So the problem remains for the next POTUS... If it is a Democrat you can bet it will get fixed and all the jumping up and down by the Conservative MINORITY won’t matter because there will be no fence... there will be straight Amnesty with the right to vote for the Latinos favorite Nanny State party the Regal Elite DEMOCRATICS...
Thats what I mean by seeing the Forest through the trees.
Amen Brother Amen.. thanks ... and I’m there everyday with you on that one.... Write, Call, Petition... Hold the Democrats accountable for their shameful political strategy of DEFEATISM.
The fence needs to be well patrolled as it is only there to slow them down ‘till someone can get there to deal with them.
Yeh thats right I remember last time when them Al-Qaeda’s got in here and struck us on 911 and when the 911 comission revealed that they all snuck across the Mexican border in the back of one of them there Coyote trucks right...
Get a grip the fence is not the issue... See the Forest through the trees...
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I appreciate the comments you have made and your right to make them but would ask who needs to get a grip on what as a result of reading more into certain folks posts than what is there, imo..
Your comments that by not passing what you deemed as comprehensive legislation last month, you imply tools to do so are being held back or something to that effect that could work towards securing the nation and its borders, keeping in mind that securing the borders is more than just a “fence” thing.. Chertoff has said as much.
btw, a lot of Forest are burning out West so it may be a bit tough to see it thru the trees, much less the smoke. I get your drift tho.
I feel safer already.
A line by Hudson in Aliens.
Exactly. How can they possibly resist that open borders invitation, courtesy of Jorge Bush...
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