Iraq is 'cause celebre' for extremists

By KATHERINE SHRADER, Associated Press Writer 4 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - A declassified government intelligence report says the war in Iraq](http://search.news.yahoo.com/search/news/?p=Iraq) has become a “cause celebre” for Islamic extremists, breeding deep resentment of the U.S. that is likely to get worse before it gets better.

In the bleak report, released Tuesday on President Bush](http://search.news.yahoo.com/search/news/?p=President+Bush)'s orders, the nation’s most veteran analysts conclude that despite serious damage to the leadership of al-Qaida, the threat from Islamic extremists has spread both in numbers and in geographic reach.

“If this trend continues, threats to U.S. interests at home and abroad will become more diverse, leading to increasing attacks worldwide,” the document says. “The confluence of shared purpose and dispersed actors will make it harder to find and undermine jihadist groups.”

Bush ordered a declassified version of the classified report released after several days of criticism sparked by portions that were leaked. Asked about those Tuesday, Bush said critics who believe the Iraq war has worsened terrorism are naive and mistaken.

The intelligence assessment, completed in April, has stirred a heated election-season argument over the course of U.S. national security in the years following the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

Bush and his top advisers had said the broad assessment on global terrorism supported their arguments that the world is safer. But more than three pages of stark judgments warning about the spread of terrorism contrasted with the administration’s glass-half-full declarations.

The report said:
• The increased role of Iraqis in opposing al-Qaida in Iraq might lead the terror group’s veteran foreign fighters to focus their efforts outside the country.
• While Iran](http://search.news.yahoo.com/search/news/?p=Iran) and Syria](http://search.news.yahoo.com/search/news/?p=Syria) are the most active state sponsors of terror, many other countries will be unable to prevent their resources from being exploited by terrorists.
• The underlying factors that are fueling the spread of the extremist Muslim movement outweigh its vulnerabilities. These factors are entrenched grievances and a slow pace of reform in home countries, rising anti-U.S. sentiment and the Iraq war.
• Groups “of all stripes” will increasingly use the Internet to communicate, train, recruit and obtain support.

Source


All is well, keep the problems under carpet… thats what they tried, thanks to the leakages otherwise all we would’ve heard on TV and Radio is “all is well, the war on terror is doing great”.

So after all these years of ‘fight against terror’ what the arm-chair-criticis around the world had suggested is now coming true i.e. multiplication of ‘terrorists’ in numbers/locations. If all the arm-chair-critics were able to ‘predict’ the outcome, don’t you think the ‘think-tanks’ also knew but have some other plans/agenda which we are trying to guess?

Re: Iraq is 'cause celebre' for extremists

You mean the NeoCon prediction of Flowers and Candy didn't come true?

Re: Iraq is 'cause celebre' for extremists

^ not just that (not the focus currently), not too long ago it was said that world is now safer.

Re: Iraq is 'cause celebre' for extremists

why is this even news?

everyone knows this even before bush launched his disastarous invasion

Re: Iraq is 'cause celebre' for extremists

Bush contines to lie to the American people and the world in general, he should be called out on it at every chance.

Re: Iraq is 'cause celebre' for extremists

This isn't true, despite what any report may say or not say, whether its the truth or not, only Bush administration decide who is telling the truth and they say they are.

He would have been guilty of breaking int'l law but o wait he changed that too, he surely has the high moral ground in this war.

Re: Iraq is 'cause celebre' for extremists


Not everyone, there is still a some size of US population that believes in him, also read below:


It really is a shame for US public that such a liar is still in power, unfortunately a guy can be taken to court for "(willful)harassment of an intern" while other guy stays untouched for continuous lies.

Re: Iraq is 'cause celebre' for extremists

Impeach him!!!

Re: Iraq is 'cause celebre' for extremists

^LoL Yeah, the Republicans run everything right now, that will never happen.

Re: Iraq is 'cause celebre' for extremists

^

If Republicans love Bush more than America than yes...but it is sad and embarassing.

Re: Iraq is ‘cause celebre’ for extremists

Amazingly, 44 % of Americans approve of him :clown:

http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20060921/1a_offlede21.art.htm

Re: Iraq is 'cause celebre' for extremists

^
The link is about fuel prices not Iraq, moreover 44% is not a majority.

Re: Iraq is 'cause celebre' for extremists

Apparently the method of fear works for this administration...terrorist this..freedom that...evil this..liberty that. Half of america falls for this. I mean they blatantly lie and yet the people support them.

Re: Iraq is 'cause celebre' for extremists

^
The Republican party is losing seats this November election, that shows that support for Bush is suffering. The GOP has control and look what they do with it. The elephant is dying but unfortantly until it's pushed back into it's cage it will continue to cause harm.

Re: Iraq is 'cause celebre' for extremists

Read beyond the headlines - it talks about Bush's overall approval ratings, which have climbed back from about 30 + %

His overall ratings are more closely linked to gas prices, than any other issue.

And my point is not about majority supporting him, but about so many Americans 'still' supporting him :)

Re: Iraq is 'cause celebre' for extremists

the republicans will retain the house and the senate.

Re: Iraq is 'cause celebre' for extremists

^ Maybe, it would be a longshot for Dems to take the Seante but it's still possible. 6 weeks to go, a lot can happen.

Re: Iraq is 'cause celebre' for extremists

bush's popularity is on the upswing. reminds me a lot of the kerry campaign in 2004. a brief period of optimism for democrats before the repubs pulled the terror bogeyman out of cold storage and peppered debates with 9/11.

i wouldnt be surprised if the repubs end up gaining seats.

Re: Iraq is ‘cause celebre’ for extremists

Add more fuel to the fire. To bad so many pay no attention to the fire raging until they are actually burned.

Woodward Book: Bush Concealing Level of Iraq Violence
 
**Sep 29, 2006 **— WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Bush administration is concealing the level of violence against U.S. troops in Iraq and the situation there is growing worse despite White House and Pentagon claims of progress, journalist Bob Woodward said in advance of a new book.
 
Insurgent attacks against U.S.-led forces in Iraq occurred, on average, every 15 minutes, Woodward said in a CBS "60 Minutes" interview taped for broadcast on Sunday. 
 
"It's getting to the point now where there are eight, 900 attacks a week. That's more than a hundred a day. That is four an hour attacking our forces," Woodward said in excerpts of the interview released on Thursday before the release of his book on the administration, called "State of Denial." 
 
"The assessment by intelligence experts is that next year, 2007, is going to get worse and, in public, you have the president and you have the Pentagon (saying) 'Oh, no, things are going to get better,"' Woodward added. 
 
Parts of a National Intelligence Estimate that President George W. Bush ordered released this week showed an upsurge in Islamic militancy, while a new U.N. report said the Iraq war was providing al Qaeda with a training center and fresh recruits.
 
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=2506369

Re: Iraq is 'cause celebre' for extremists

astute observation