National Intelligence Director John McConnell(Chip Somodevilla - Getty Images)
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, February 28, 2007; Page A04
The new director of national intelligence said yesterday that the United States is "very concerned" that Osama bin Laden and the al-Qaeda leadership are attempting to rebuild their terrorist network and establish training camps in a region of northwest Pakistan "that has never been governed by any power."
"We inflicted a major blow, they retreated to another area, and they are going through a process to reestablish and rebuild, adapting to the seams or the weak spots as they might perceive them," retired Vice Adm. John M. McConnell told the Senate Armed Services Committee as he delivered his first global threat assessment to Capitol Hill.
While describing new al-Qaeda volunteers as "very committed individuals," McConnell also said they lack the experience of the old leadership, nearly three-quarters of which has been killed or captured. Without giving details, he said, "a number of [terrorist] plans and activities have been shut down or disrupted."
"We inflicted a major blow, they retreated to another area, and they are going through a process to reestablish and rebuild, adapting to the seams or the weak spots as they might perceive them," retired Vice Adm. John M. McConnell told the Senate Armed Services Committee as he delivered his first global threat assessment to Capitol Hill.
While describing new al-Qaeda volunteers as "very committed individuals," McConnell also said they lack the experience of the old leadership, nearly three-quarters of which has been killed or captured. Without giving details, he said, "a number of [terrorist] plans and activities have been shut down or disrupted."
Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) asked McConnell about the probability that al-Qaeda members in Pakistan or Iraq are organizing an attack on the United States -- a scenario that President Bush recently hinted at should U.S. forces withdraw from Iraq. The intelligence chief replied that an attack would "most likely" emerge from Pakistan, though he described Iraq as "a cause celebre for the jihadists in creating forces," and warned that al-Qaeda elements in Iraq, Syria and Europe are planning attacks.
McConnell also outlined some obstacles to a settlement in Iraq. The majority Shiites, he said, "are not confident of their position and . . . are worried that the Sunnis may come back and dominate the country." The Sunnis, he said, are unwilling "to admit that they are no longer in charge," and the Kurds are "biding their time to protect Kurdish interests." Overall, he said, "I think the Iraqi political leaders have close to impossible tasks."
While this certainly sounds scarey to me, it also smells a bit fishy. In My View of It, we need to be very careful about what we believe at this point, based on past experience. This is such a grave danger we face. On one hand, I don't want to be paranoid and chalk everything up to the Propaganda Machine and on the other hand, I don't want to live in constant fear. "Oh what a tangled web we weave, when we practice to deceive." Thanks President Bush for making us all sick to our stomaches with worry about what to believe and what not to believe!
McConnell also outlined some obstacles to a settlement in Iraq. The majority Shiites, he said, "are not confident of their position and . . . are worried that the Sunnis may come back and dominate the country." The Sunnis, he said, are unwilling "to admit that they are no longer in charge," and the Kurds are "biding their time to protect Kurdish interests." Overall, he said, "I think the Iraqi political leaders have close to impossible tasks."
While this certainly sounds scarey to me, it also smells a bit fishy. In My View of It, we need to be very careful about what we believe at this point, based on past experience. This is such a grave danger we face. On one hand, I don't want to be paranoid and chalk everything up to the Propaganda Machine and on the other hand, I don't want to live in constant fear. "Oh what a tangled web we weave, when we practice to deceive." Thanks President Bush for making us all sick to our stomaches with worry about what to believe and what not to believe!
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Al Qaeda’s Battle Plan 2007 and beyond
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