U.S. Report: Al-Qaida Gaining Strength

kombayn · 04-30-2008, 12:56 PM

US report says al-Qaida gaining strength - Yahoo! News

WASHINGTON - Al-Qaida has rebuilt some of its pre-Sept. 11 capabilities from remote hiding places in Pakistan, leading to a jump in attacks last year in that country and neighboring Afghanistan, the Bush administration said Wednesday.

Attacks in Pakistan doubled between 2006 and 2007 and the number of fatalities quadrupled, the State Department said in its annual terrorism report. In Afghanistan, the number of attacks rose 16 percent, to 1,127 incidents last year.

The report says attacks in Iraq dipped slightly between 2006 and 2007, but they still accounted for 60 percent of worldwide terrorism fatalities, including 17 of the 19 Americans who were killed in attacks last year. The other two were killed in Afghanistan.

More than 22,000 people were killed by terrorists around the world in 2007, 8 percent more than in 2006, although the overall number of attacks fell, the report says.

The report once again identifies Iran as the world's "most active" state sponsor of terrorism for supporting Palestinian extremists and insurgents in Afghanistan and Iraq, where it says elements of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps continued to provide militants with weapons, training and funding.

Thoughts?

WickedLou9 · 05-01-2008, 12:50 PM

It's a good thing we left Afghanastan alone and focused all of out efforts on Iraq then.

What a damned failure this administration has been. They got almost everything wrong.

A_C_E · 05-01-2008, 01:02 PM

What's a little fearmongering before lunch?

tbone · 05-02-2008, 02:59 PM

We've given people a reason to legitimately hate us and played right into the reasons Al Qaeda says they exist. Of course, they're going to gain strength. It's almost as if we planned it ourselves.

kinggovernor · 05-02-2008, 06:54 PM

Originally Posted by A_C_E

What's a little fearmongering before lunch?

and if they hit tomorrow, you would blame the government for not preventing it

A_C_E · 05-02-2008, 07:14 PM

Originally Posted by kinggovernor

and if they hit tomorrow, you would blame the government for not preventing it

You can't possibly deny that this isn't more Bush Administration fearmongering.

That said, if they hit again, it's just because they outsmarted us. Which would be kind of scary, if a bunch of donkey-riding nomads can outsmart the US government.

kinggovernor · 05-02-2008, 09:57 PM

Originally Posted by A_C_E

You can't possibly deny that this isn't more Bush Administration fearmongering.

That said, if they hit again, it's just because they outsmarted us. Which would be kind of scary, if a bunch of donkey-riding nomads can outsmart the US government.

they have certainly made the public as aware as possible, you can call it fear mongering, I think it with they were reelected to do.

A_C_E · 05-02-2008, 11:41 PM

Originally Posted by kinggovernor

they have certainly made the public as aware as possible, you can call it fear mongering, I think it with they were reelected to do.

So they manipulate the American public by scaring ordinary people (who don't know any better) into thinking that if they don't reelect Bush/Republicans, that we're all going to die from terrorist attacks....and you want to pat them on the back??

thewise1 · 05-03-2008, 12:27 AM

I'm curious if any of the pro-war-on-terror folks feel that we have a moral high ground when it comes to this:

The report once again identifies Iran as the world's "most active" state sponsor of terrorism for supporting Palestinian extremists and insurgents in Afghanistan and Iraq, where it says elements of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps continued to provide militants with weapons, training and funding.

If so, please consider contrasting it with the fact that we supplied the muhajideen with weapons, training, even stinger missiles to do exactly this to the Soviets during the cold war. We did EXACTLY this. Now don't get me wrong - I believe our way of life is the way of life I'd prefer to live in. I'm not defending communist countries or anything like that. I'd rather live in our country. But nonetheless, logically, it follows that if we supported the Muhajideen in their fight against the Soviets that Iran supporting them against us is really no different.

IminWonderland · 05-03-2008, 01:12 PM

These types of stories always make me angry because it just shows an utter failure of planning and policy over the past seven years. Why people would still buy these reports as anything other than excuses and distraction is beyond me.

Scrum · 05-03-2008, 02:35 PM

So this is an admission that the War on Terror is not working out so well?

kinggovernor · 05-03-2008, 03:41 PM

Originally Posted by A_C_E

So they manipulate the American public by scaring ordinary people (who don't know any better) into thinking that if they don't reelect Bush/Republicans, that we're all going to die from terrorist attacks....and you want to pat them on the back??

there is no manipulation here, this report is by the State Department outlining what terrorism is happening across the country.

A_C_E · 05-03-2008, 04:22 PM

Originally Posted by kinggovernor

there is no manipulation here, this report is by the State Department outlining what terrorism is happening across the country.

You really should remove the "in name only" from your political identification.

kinggovernor · 05-03-2008, 05:36 PM

Originally Posted by A_C_E

You really should remove the "in name only" from your political identification.

I do not agree with everything the Bush administration does, but they have done a great job keeping the country safe. We can talk about whether or not the methods are correct but they have done a good job so far.

Scrum · 05-03-2008, 07:17 PM

Originally Posted by kinggovernor

I do not agree with everything the Bush administration does, but they have done a great job keeping the country safe. We can talk about whether or not the methods are correct but they have done a good job so far.

And my Tiger repelling underwear works like a charm. Not once have I been mauled.

kinggovernor · 05-04-2008, 10:05 AM

Originally Posted by thewise1

I'm curious if any of the pro-war-on-terror folks feel that we have a moral high ground when it comes to this:

If so, please consider contrasting it with the fact that we supplied the muhajideen with weapons, training, even stinger missiles to do exactly this to the Soviets during the cold war. We did EXACTLY this. Now don't get me wrong - I believe our way of life is the way of life I'd prefer to live in. I'm not defending communist countries or anything like that. I'd rather live in our country. But nonetheless, logically, it follows that if we supported the Muhajideen in their fight against the Soviets that Iran supporting them against us is really no different.

The Soviets wanted to conquer Afghanistan, we don't want Iraq.

thewise1 · 05-06-2008, 06:06 PM

Originally Posted by kinggovernor

The Soviets wanted to conquer Afghanistan, we don't want Iraq.

I fail to see how that's relevant...

kinggovernor · 05-06-2008, 11:21 PM

Originally Posted by thewise1

I fail to see how that's relevant...

well then you don't understand what the Soviets were doing invading Afghanistan.

IminWonderland · 05-07-2008, 01:50 AM

Originally Posted by kinggovernor

The Soviets wanted to conquer Afghanistan, we don't want Iraq.

We don't want responsibility for the people of Iraq. But we do want to PROFIT from Iraq. Which is why other countries have such a problem with our conflict and we are virtually completely isolated in our quest for dominating the middle east.

kinggovernor · 05-07-2008, 10:06 AM

Originally Posted by IminWonderland

We don't want responsibility for the people of Iraq. But we do want to PROFIT from Iraq. Which is why other countries have such a problem with our conflict and we are virtually completely isolated in our quest for dominating the middle east.

how have we profited from Iraq?