Iraq war 'swells al Qaeda ranks'

[emad]

LONDON, England (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 says in its annual report. The 2003-04 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. Washington must impose security in Iraq to prevent the country from "ripening into a cause celebre for radical Islamic terrorists," the report, released Wednesday, concluded.

"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. "The immediate effect of the war may have been to isolate further al Qaeda from any potential state supporters while also swelling its ranks and galvanizing its will."

Magnus Ranstorp, terrorism expert at Britain's St. Andrew's University, told Reuters the report's findings would drive home the importance of rebuilding Iraq and other conflict zones. "Military planners and the law enforcement community are fully aware of the consequences of failed states," he said. "I think it's probably worthwhile for politicians to keep in mind our responsibility to provide sustained and long term reconstruction in war-torn countries, so they don't fly back into anarchy or become incubators of terrorism."

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More:

http://edition.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/europe/10/15/sprj.irq.iiss.report.reut/index.html

[izzie]

1. Now why did this happen?

n/t

[michaelwb]

2. say 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.

Um, you mean the ones they don't seem to have? Isn't that kind of like selling the Brooklyn Bridge?

And the fact that they are enemies and that we have no evidence of any ties between them is also not worth mentioning, huh?

[Southpaw Bookworm]

3. Raise your hand if you're surprised

Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

:eyes: :think: :eyes:

[Jacobin]

4. Just wait until they invade Syria

That's next.

It'll be WW III.

Thank you PNACers for destroying our country in support of Likudnicks.