Iraq War Swells Al Qaeda's Ranks, Report Says

[NNN0LHI]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20031015/ts_nm/security_iraq_balance_dc&cid=564&ncid=1473

LONDON (Reuters) - War in Iraq has swollen the ranks of al Qaeda and galvanized the Islamic militant group's will, the International Institute for Strategic Studies said on Wednesday in its annual report.

The 2003-2004 edition of the British-based think-tank's annual bible for defense analysts, The Military Balance, said Washington's assertions after the Iraq conflict that it had turned the corner in the war on terror were "over-confident."

The report, widely considered an authoritative text on the military capabilities of states and militant groups worldwide, could prove fodder for critics of the U.S.-British invasion and of the reconstruction effort that has followed in Iraq.

"On the plus side, war in Iraq has denied al Qaeda a potential supplier of weapons of mass destruction and discouraged state sponsors of terrorism from continuing to support it," the report said.

"On the minus side, war in Iraq has probably inflamed radical passions among Muslims and thus increased al Qaeda's recruiting power and morale and, at least marginally, its operating capability," it said.

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[phillybri]

1. Gee, who saw that coming?

:shrug:

[Qutzupalotl]

17. Not this guy...

[wellst0nev0ter]

18. Not Me

Anger on Iraq Seen as New Qaeda Recruiting Tool

By DON VAN NATTA Jr. and DESMOND BUTLER

LONDON, March 15 — On three continents, Al Qaeda and other terror organizations have intensified their efforts to recruit young Muslim men, tapping into rising anger about the American campaign for war in Iraq, according to intelligence and law enforcement officials.

In recent weeks, officials in the United States, Europe and Africa say they had seen evidence that militants within Muslim communities are seeking to identify and groom a new generation of terrorist operatives. An invasion of Iraq, the officials worry, is almost certain to produce a groundswell of recruitment for groups committed to attacks in the United States, Europe and Israel.

"An American invasion of Iraq is already being used as a recruitment tool by Al Qaeda and other groups," a senior American counterintelligence official said. "And it is a very effective tool."

Another American official, based in Europe, said Iraq had become "a battle cry, in a way," for Qaeda recruiters.

<snip>

[ixion]

2. why is it that you only hear about 'Muslim's radical passions'

when right-wing Christians passions are just as prevalent, and given that these same Christians have access to multitudes of WMD's, even more deadly? that's just not right, imho.

[Malva Zebrina]

11. your post reminded me of this article from AP

so I searched the archives for it. It is telling about George's incredible ability to rais money--equating this as a talent of some sort with his abilities to run a decent democracy--well, he has ruined a country in very little time so maybe this ability to garner in money (virtual bribes) does destroy a democracym eh? Anyhow, check out the picture of George the Christ that accompanies the article. This is why we get religious wars -- remind you of any other fascist dictators?

Here is the link to the article

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=536&ncid=536&e=6&u=/ap/20031014/ap_on_el_pr/presidential_money

and here is the disgusting photo of a disgusting man

[tom_paine]

21. A Triumph of the Will

I guess this means our Fuhrer is God-sent.

Just like the original, eh?

[RedEarth]

3. Everyone except this admin knew this would happen......so tragic.....nt

[Guaranteed]

6. No, they knew.

They just didn't give a shit. FUCK them.

[Beetwasher]

15. Or it was all part of the plan

Maybe they knew and were planning on this happening. Nothing like a shady, non-conformist enemy that spans the globe and that ANYONE can be accused of being a part of. It's a useful tool for fascists.

[NormanConquest]

4. Oh, this is the Good News we're supposed to be hearing, right?

:rolleyes:

[hadrons]

5. What?????

"On the plus side, war in Iraq has denied al Qaeda a potential supplier of weapons of mass destruction and discouraged state sponsors of terrorism from continuing to support it," the report said.

Iraq was a potential supplier of weapons of mass destruction that it didn't have???

And given that Saddam hated al-Qaeda and was fearful of them using anything he might have given them against his gov't, this line is complete crap

[NickB79]

22. Don't forget the many tons of explosives the war DID give them access to

With most of the 1 MILLION tons of high explosives in Saddam's old munitions dumps still unguarded, they now have a ready, almost free source of massive amounts of material for bombs and suicide attacks. Good job George.

[kentuck]

7. Bush is creating just what he convinced Americans to be afraid of....

terrorists!

In Afghanistan, it was a problem that could be controlled and done away with. However, with his blunder in Iraq, he has created a situation that brings his paranoia to point of reality. We will be at war forever with "terrorists", when it didn't have to be.

[snippy]

10. Bush needs terrorists.

[havocmom]

8. bush* maladministration policies are swelling the ranks of al Qaeda

and the outing of Plame crippled our CIA's ablility to track the movemnet of dangerous materials which groups like al Qaeda would like to make weapons with. Our goverment enacted laws which restrict and diminish US citizens' rights. The economy now benifits only the super rich<.i>.

Sing it from the loft to every newspaper, TV station and member of congress:

Are we safer now than we were?
Are we as free a people as we were?
Are we as prosporous as we were?
Are we ready to hold responsibil parties accountable?

[Mari333]

9. well DOH

even my mother, who was a staunch Bushbot at one time said "gee honey it looks like that war is making Iraq into a magnet for terrorists"..
DOH! something we all knew but we were only a "focus group".

[DuctapeFatwa]

12. Which Al Qaeda? the CIA confection or the new mutated Al Qaeda

that includes anyone who opposes the bush regime?

[papau]

13. I feel safer now that Bush's invasion of Iraq has increased the Al Qaeda

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/news/news-security-iraq-balance.html

October 15, 2003
Iraq War Swells Al Qaeda's Ranks, Report Says
By REUTERS Filed at 7:31 a.m. ET

LONDON (Reuters) - "War in Iraq has swollen the ranks of al Qaeda and galvanized the Islamic militant group's will ...." (sigh)

"Nation-building" in Iraq ...might require more troops than initially planned...."war in Iraq has ..inflamed radical passions among Muslims and thus increased al Qaeda's recruiting power and morale and...its operating capability...The immediate effect of the war may have been ...swelling its ranks and galvanizing its will...it also "impelled an already highly decentralized and evasive international terrorist network to become even more 'virtual' and protean and, therefore, harder to identify and neutralize,".. 18,000 veterans of al Qaeda's Afghan training camps were still..operating worldwide "with recruitment continuing and probably increasing following the war in Iraq." Al Qaeda leaders, including bin Laden, are mostly still at large and continue to incite followers over the Internet and through pronouncements on Arabic-language television..((we must)resolve local conflicts, such as the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, so regional radical groups such as Hamas do not fall into al Qaeda's embrace)"

Now will our media note that Bush is failing in the execution of his fight on terror? We can all see how hard he is working on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict - as in not working on it - and we now know the war was NOT the way to go to increase the security - let alone treasury - of the US. However the war in Iraq will do wonders for the wealth of the Bush friends in Daddy Bush's Carlyle Group, Halliburton, etc.

[Magleetis]

14. We tried to warn him

but would he listen, no. Its hard being right all the time.

[durutti]

16. Everything the Left Said Would Happen

Everything the left said would happen regarding the Iraq war has happened or is in the process of happening.

We were right, they were wrong. As usual.

[ramapo]

19. Bush is a genius

Sure he knew invading Iraq would inflame the Islamic world and serve as the perfect terrorist recruiting tool.

That's just what he needs to justify his endless war on terror. Which turns out to be a perfect reelection ploy.

Just like Nixon's secret plan to end the Vietnam War.

[Emillereid]

20. Thanks George -- just what we needed in this world

More pissed off fundamentalists. We all must dedicate our lives in the next year to getting this motherf**ker out of office -- nothing else in your lives compares with the importance of this mission.