On Tuesday, Homeland Security “chief” (why isn’t he called Secretary of Homeland Security? Maybe it’s because “homeland security” is such a ridiculous, jingoistic, un-American phrase.) said that he feels in his gut that al Qaeda will attack the United States this summer. He could well be right. Shall we peruse the headlines?
al-Qaida Has Rebuilt, U.S. Intel Warns
(07-11) 16:19 PDT WASHINGTON, (AP) — U.S. intelligence analysts have concluded al-Qaida has rebuilt its operating capability to a level not seen since just before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, The Associated Press has learned.The conclusion suggests that the group that launched the most devastating terror attack on the United States has been able to regroup along the Afghan-Pakistani border despite nearly six years of bombings, war and other tactics aimed at crippling it.
Still, numerous government officials say they know of no specific, credible threat of a new attack on U.S. soil.
A counterterrorism official familiar with a five-page summary of the new government threat assessment called it a stark appraisal to be discussed at the White House on Thursday as part of a broader meeting on an upcoming National Intelligence Estimate.
The official and others spoke on condition of anonymity because the secret report remains classified.Counterterrorism analysts produced the document, titled “Al-Qaida better positioned to strike the West.” The document focuses on the terror group’s safe haven in Pakistan and makes a range of observations about the threat posed to the United States and its allies, officials said.
Al-Qaida is “considerably operationally stronger than a year ago” and has “regrouped to an extent not seen since 2001,” the official said, paraphrasing the report’s conclusions. “They are showing greater and greater ability to plan attacks in Europe and the United States.”
The group also has created “the most robust training program since 2001, with an interest in using European operatives,” the official quoted the report as saying.
At the same time, this official said, the report speaks of “significant gaps in intelligence” so U.S. authorities may be ignorant of potential or planned attacks.
But only in America could this be spun as good news for the Bush administration:
The findings could bolster the president’s hand at a moment when support on Capitol Hill for the war is eroding and the administration is struggling to defend its decision for a military buildup in Iraq. A progress report that the White House is releasing to Congress this week is expected to indicate scant progress on the political and military benchmarks set for Iraq.
In other words, as we all expected, Bush’s Iraq war has served only to exacerbate terrorism, to reconstitute al Qaeda, and embolden terrorists. But at the same time, it gives him an excuse to continue to the war and excoriate anyone who says that the war is wrong — he will continue to claim that it is better to “fight them there instead of fighting them here.” (Ever notice that he never manages to explain how he expects thousands of al Qaeda terrorists to enter the U.S.? I can only assume this means that his security theater is not equipped to prevent them from coming here.)
[It occurs to me: if there is an attack of some sort this summer, the Bush administration is likely to respond to critics by saying, as always, that they “don’t think anyone could have anticipated” it. Well, the very first thing you should do is point out that Chertoff’s gut anticipated it way back in July.]
Oh, by the way: does anyone remember Osama bin Laden? Haven’t heard that name in some time, eh? I’m sure he’ll be captured any time now.
Other news stories making me apoplectic right now: the continued “we refuse to answer questions” attitude of the Imperial White House (and you can’t make us, nyah nyah)… complete lack of cojones on the part of the Democratic Congress… Dick Cheney, just on principal… Republicans blocking legislation that would provide soldiers with respite time (and then saying that Democrats don’t support the troops)… muzzling the surgeon general… TSA security theatre that confiscates bottles of water (and then dumps them into garbage cans inside the secure zone where they can be just taken out of the trash by the passenger) but fails to notice the bomb in the same carry-on bag…
Yup, the Bush administration is performing just about as well as some of us expected almost seven years ago.
