Pirate's Cove

It would be nice if we could see the whole leaked secret intelligence report that says that terror is worse now then before the Iraq war started. Of course, one has to wonder about the timing, but, hey, that is politics. Especially from a party that stands for talking about global "strength," but does nothing about it.

Meanwhile, John Negroponte has something to say about it:

US intelligence czar John Negroponte admitted the
Iraq war was shaping a new generation of terrorists, but denied claims that a secret report said America was in more peril than in 2001.

"The Iraq jihad is shaping a new generation of terrorist leaders and operatives," Negroponte said, using a previously scheduled dinner speech at the Woodrow Wilson Center to discuss the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE).

"However, should jihadists leaving Iraq perceive themselves, and be perceived, to have failed, fewer fighters will be inspired to carry on the fight," Negroponte, the Director of National Intelligence, said.

In other words, we are dragging the little jihadists into Iraq, and killing them there. Also, Cut and Run would embolden them more.

Does anyone out there actually believe that, had the US and Coalition forces gone into Afghanistan with overwhelming force, we wouldn't be facing the same prospects that we face in Iraq? Except, we would have been fighting with an even longer supply chain in what is considered the worst terrain on Earth to fight. It is no wonder that Al Queda picked it for their base of operations, and that the Soviets lost there.

Instead, the fight was moved to Iraq, where the situation was more controlled, and we had better bases in the region, and better terrain.

The New York Times Sunday quoted an official familiar with the report, entitled Trends in Global Terrorism: Implications for the United States, as saying that "the Iraq war has made the overall terrorism problem worse."

But Negroponte argued the report did not say the threat to the United States had increased.

"We are certainly more vigilant, we are better prepared, in that sense I think we can safely say that we are safer.

"The threat to the homeland itself has if anything been reduced since 9/11."

And, isn't that one of the main points?

The threat of terrorism has been growing for the past three decades. There have been numerous attacks against America and American people and property around the world. Does the Times and those on the left think that terrorism would just disappear? Of course, they also think that once Osama is gone, the War on Terror is done.

Hot Air has a video of Negroponte fact checking the hell out of Clinton.

Captain Ed discusses Condi striking back, as does Bluto at The Jawa Report.

Wizbang: fighting terrorists makes them mad.

Update: President Bush says he will release the intel assessment

"I think it's a mistake for people to believe that going on the offense against people that want to do harm to the American people makes us less safe," President Bush said.

Not if you are a liberal. Then you have to find out how we can change who we are, and what we did wrong. Cause it is all our fault, of course.

More: Funny, the first story on Google news about releasing the intel assessment is from Al Jazeera.net. Man, I wish I had access to my photo editing program.

And more: CNN has a copy of the intell assessment in PDF form.

From what I read, and it is only four pages long, it is a good assessment, looking at both the positive and negative, as well as root causes. A couple interesting points:

1. The jihadists regard Europe as an important venue for attacking Western interests Extremist networks inside the extensive Muslim diasporas in Europe facilitate recruitment and staging for urban attacks, as illustrated by the 2004 Madrid and 2005 London bombings. (all those legal and illegal Muslim immigrants that are angry)

2. The Iraq conflict has become the .cause celebre. for jihadists, breeding a deep resentment of US involvement in the Muslim world and cultivating supporters for the global jihadist movement. Should jihadists leaving Iraq perceive themselves, and be perceived, to have failed, we judge fewer fighters will be inspired to carry on the fight. (so do not cut and run)

3. Four underlying factors are fueling the spread of the jihadist movement: (1) Entrenched grievances, such as corruption, injustice, and fear of Western domination, leading to anger, humiliation, and a sense of powerlessness; (2) the Iraq jihad; (3) the slow pace of real and sustained economic, social, and political reforms in many Muslim majority nations; and (4)pervasive anti-US sentiment among most Muslims all of which jihadists exploit.

4. The jihadists greatest vulnerability is that their ultimate political solution an ultra-conservative interpretation of sharia-based governance spanning the Muslim world is unpopular with the vast majority of Muslims. Exposing the religious and political straitjacket that is implied by the jihadists propaganda would help to divide them from the audiences they seek to persuade.