New Report Says Al-Qaida Has Grown Stronger
Six years after the United States and its allies declared war on al-Qaida, the terrorist network has regained strength using a safe haven in western Pakistan and is in a better position to plan future attacks, NPR reports.
The warning comes in a five-page threat assessment compiled by the National Counterterrorism Center, entitled "Al-Qaida Better Positioned to Strike the West," according to The Washington Post. John A. Kringen, the CIA's deputy director for intelligence, told a House committee Wednesday that al-Qaida appears "to be fairly well settled into the safe haven in the ungoverned spaces of Pakistan."
Reuters notes that the situation is complicated by the U.S. relationship with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf. The Bush administration sees him as a key ally and has avoided actions that could harm his government. For instance, The New York Times has reported that a secret operation to capture top al-Qaida leaders in 2005 was called off at the last second over fears it could jeopardize relations with Pakistan.
The Los Angeles Times reported that Kringen also downplayed comments made by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, who had told the editorial board of the Chicago Tribune earlier this week that he has a "gut feeling" an attack might occur this summer.
Chertoff clarified his remarks in an interview with NPR on Thursday, saying that "the phrase 'gut feeling' was just perhaps a little more colloquial way of saying 'informed judgment' or 'informed conclusion.'" But Pam Fessler reports that the lack of specific details in Chertoff's comments has disturbed some people, including Michael Greenberger, director of the University of Maryland's Center for Health & Homeland Security.
"The American people are well aware there is a threat, and I don't see this casual comment advancing the ball very much. And I find it troubling in terms of the overt lack of preparedness on the part of the administration," Greenberger said.
10:56 AM ET | 07-12-2007 | permalink
