Bush Aides See Failure in Fight With Al Qaeda (NYT)

[kpete]

Bush Aides See Failure in Fight With Al Qaeda in Pakistan

By MARK MAZZETTI and DAVID E. SANGER
Published: July 17, 2007

WASHINGTON, July 17— President Bush’s top counterterrorism advisers acknowledged today that the strategy for fighting Osama bin Laden’s Al Qaeda leadership in Pakistan had failed, as the White House released a grim new intelligence assessment that has forced the administration to consider more aggressive measures inside Pakistan.

The intelligence report, the most formal assessment since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks about the terrorist threat facing the United States, concludes that the United States is losing ground on a number of fronts in the fight against Al Qaeda, and describes the terrorist organization as having significantly strengthened over the past two years.

In identifying the main reasons for Al Qaeda’s resurgence, intelligence officials and White House aides pointed the finger squarely at a hands-off approach toward the tribal areas by Pakistan’s president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, who last year brokered a cease-fire with tribal leaders in an attempt to drain support for Islamic extremism in the region.

“It hasn’t worked for Pakistan,” said Frances Fragos Townsend, who heads the Homeland Security Council at the White House. “It hasn’t worked for the United States.”

more at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/17/washington/17cnd-terror.html?_r=2&hp&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

[slj0101]

1. I see sun in the east when I leave house in the morning.

:D

[displacedtexan]

2. Another moment of DUH

... from the corporate-owned media.

[ClearEyedJoe]

3. Nothing but failure, far as the eye can see...

Failure in fighting Al Qaeda?

Failure is *'s middle name, last name, and first name too.

Why isn't this guy in jail???

[newyawker99]

5. Hi Clear Eyed Joe!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[KharmaTrain]

4. Do They Really Know Who They're Fighting

other than us???

This Al Queda cartoon show gets more sublime by the day. They've tried to paint this boogie man into the new Russian Commie...the boogie man under your bed who wants to eat you and fly airplanes into your haid. It's been taken to such extremes in its characterization over the years, you'd think Bin Laden has brainwashed the entire Moslem world...building up the myth with each military, political or PR failure in the region.

IMHO, this regime has no clue what's going on "on the ground"...and they don't care. The on-going instability of the region is all they seek as war. It's "just good business".

Al Queda has become a sell-phrase now. It wraps up any and all enemies like the word "Red" did in the 50s and 60s. How shallow this entire charade is...and sadly, how many people believe this fantasy tale. Be continue to paint this broad brush at our ultimate peril.