Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist released this statement late this afternoon:
First and most importantly, the NIE makes clear that our efforts to destroy al-Qaeda in the past five years have made significant progress, “United States-led counterterrorism efforts have seriously damaged the leadership of al-Qa’ida and disrupted its operations.” Our intelligence personnel recognize that it is no accident that the terrorists have failed to strike us at home since 9/11, even if the Democrats don’t.
The NIE also presents a stark assessment that “the global jihadist movement … is spreading and adapting to counterterrorism efforts … [and] increasing in both number and geographic dispersion.” But it repeatedly states that failure in Iraq … the inevitable consequence of the Democrat policy of retreat … would dramatically harm our fight against these murderers, “perceived jihadist success [in Iraq] would inspire more fighters to continue the struggle elsewhere.”
Crucially, the NIE supports the President’s contention that success in Iraq, the central battlefield in the War on Terror, would strike a grievous blow against the terrorists and dry up their support, “Should jihadists leaving Iraq perceive themselves, and be perceived, to have failed, we judge fewer fighters will be inspired to carry on the fight … If democratic reform efforts in Muslim majority nations progress over the next five years, political participation probably would drive a wedge between intransigent extremists and groups willing to use the political process to achieve their local objectives.”
The declassified judgments on the NIE present a sobering look at the threats we face five years into the War on Terror… and the harrowing consequences of the Democrat policy of abandonment and failure in Iraq.
When the democrats planned their latest leak scandal, they didn’t figure that Bush would have the document declassified and released. They should have.
Paul Seale sends Key Points from the document today posted at Arena of Ideas:
Declassified Key Judgments of the National Intelligence Estimate .Trends in Global Terrorism: Implications for the United States. dated April 2006
Key Judgments from the NIE Report:
** United States-led counterterrorism efforts have seriously damaged the leadership of al-Qa’ida and disrupted its operations; however, we judge that al-Qa’ida will continue to pose the greatest threat to the Homeland and US interests abroad by a single terrorist organization. We also assess that the global jihadist movement—which includes al- Qa’ida, affiliated and independent terrorist groups, and emerging networks and cells—is spreading and adapting to counterterrorism efforts.
** Although we cannot measure the extent of the spread with precision, a large body of all-source reporting indicates that activists identifying themselves as jihadists, although a small percentage of Muslims, are increasing in both number and geographic dispersion.
If this trend continues, threats to US interests at home and abroad will become more diverse, leading to increasing attacks worldwide.** Greater pluralism and more responsive political systems in Muslim majority nations would alleviate some of the grievances jihadists exploit. Over time, such progress, together with sustained, multifaceted programs targeting the vulnerabilities of the jihadist movement and continued pressure on al-Qa’ida, could erode support for the jihadists.
Hugh Hewitt – “The reporters at the NYT are either chumps or purposely deceptive.”
Or both?
The Anchoress puts this all together.
Blue Crab Boulevard follows the chain of events.
Jamie Allman doesn’t think Bill Clinton was very smart in bringing attention to his record on fighting terrorism, either.
Let Freedom Ring leaves Bill Clinton completely defenseless.
