Just a followup on my previous post on the same subject. Here is a quote from the Key Judgments of the National Intellingence Estimate. The bold and underline emphases are mine.
We assess that the Iraq jihad is shaping a new generation of terrorist leaders and operatives; perceived jihadist success there would inspire more fighters to continue the struggle elsewhere.
- The Iraq conflict has become the “cause celebre” for jihadists, breeding a deep resentment of US involvement in the Muslim world and cultivating supporters for the global jihadist movement. Should jihadists leaving Iraq perceive themselves, and be perceived, to have failed, we judge fewer fighters will be inspired to carry on the fight.
Those who claimed “Spy Agencies Say Iraq War Worsens Terrorism Threat” (New York Times) and “Spy Agencies Say Iraq War Hurting U.S. Terror Fight” (Washington Post) by citing selected sentences from the classified document (portions of which are now unclassified) just got it wrong. That was not the assessment at all.
One also has to wonder why, when both Republicans and Democrats in congress had this report since April, the “selected sentences” were leaked in late September. Is there an election coming?
Can one also ask why the full quote didn’t appear on the front pages or lead stories of the mainstream media like the excerpt did? Hmmm?
It’s FOUR pages. How hard would it have been for the news outlets to just print the dang thing? Spin-spin-spin on every side of the aisle!