It is interesting to hear the feeble spin from Conservatives on this recent intelligence report. You see, if we hadn’t invaded Iraq, everyone would be upset over something else we did. Hmmm. That’s the defense of a teenager: if my folks weren’t pissed at me for wrecking the car, they’d be pissed about something else. Even when that defense is true, it’s pathetic. The Neocons (and future cons, it seems) stole the car and drove it off the cliff. Now, they just don’t understand why everyone is so pissed off.

Oh, but better to fight them there than over here. Well, no duh. But maybe destroying Iraq to save it isn’t the best lesson of Vietnam. Al Qaeda did nothing to advance their cause in attacking us over here — NOTHING. We’ve done everything to advance the cause of senseless destruction by attacking everyone over there. But any discussion of strategy or tactics or goals is out of the question to those in power. And that is why they will lose that power, no matter how much they try to frighten us. mjh

Part of Iraq Intelligence Report Is Released By Michael A. Fletcher, Washington Post Staff Writer

The Bush administration yesterday released portions of a classified intelligence estimate that says the global jihadist movement is growing and being fueled by the war in Iraq even as it becomes more decentralized, making it harder to identify potential terrorists and prevent attacks.

The war in Iraq has become a “cause celebre” for jihadists, breeding resentment of U.S. involvement in the Muslim world and drawing new adherents to the movement, the assessment says. The growth in the number of potential terrorists is also being fed by corruption, slow-moving political reform in many Muslim countries and “pervasive” anti-American sentiment, according to the report.

The jihadist movement is potentially limited by its ultra-conservative interpretation of Islam and could be slowed by democratic reforms in the Muslim world, says the document, which reflects the collective judgment of the nation’s 16 intelligence agencies. In addition, it asserts that if jihadists are perceived to be defeated in Iraq, “fewer fighters would be inspired to carry on the fight.”

Still, terrorists with experience constructing roadside bombs and other deadly devices in Iraq “are a potential source” of leadership in attacks elsewhere, the report says.
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Sobering Conclusions On Why Jihad Has Spread By Karen DeYoung and Walter Pincus, Washington Post Staff Writers

The overall estimate is bleak, with minor notes of optimism. It depicts a movement that is likely to grow more quickly than the West’s ability to counter it over the next five years, as the Iraq war continues to breed “deep resentment” throughout the Muslim world, shaping a new generation of terrorist leaders and cultivating new supporters for their ideology.