Secret FBI report doubts al-Qa'ida can stage 9/11-type strikes in US

[emad]

Independent
By Raymond Whitaker and Nick Meo
13 March 2005


A secret FBI report has cast doubt on al-Qa'ida's ability to stage another "spectacular" attack in the US, three and a half years after the 9/11 suicide hijackings and a year after the Madrid bombings, the network's only other major strike in the West.

While the desire of the al-Qa'ida leadership to attack the US was "not in question", the report said, "their capability to do so is unclear, particularly in regard to 'spectacular' operations". Contrary to statements by prosecutors and the FBI's own chief, Robert Mueller, the February report, obtained last week by ABC News, says the agency knows of no al-Qa'ida "sleeper" agents in the US.

The leaked report emphasises that it is not only Britain which is having difficulty measuring the potential threat from international terrorism. Recently President George W Bush said Osama bin Laden had contacted Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, al-Qa'ida's chief associate in Iraq, to seek his help in planning attacks on the US.

Although some analysts saw this as a sign of weakness on the al-Qa'ida leader's part, Mr Bush said: "Bin Laden's message is a telling reminder that al-Qa'ida still hopes to attack us on our own soil. Stopping him is the greatest challenge of our day."

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story.jsp?story=619543

[fortyfeetunder]

1. Ah, the FBI is now in the complacency mode

This is not a good sign.

The FBI seems to forget some of these al-Qa'ida followers are intelligent --some have technology training -- for those of you who didn't know, Osama binLaden has a civil engineering degree, and the 9-11 pilots had attended flying school. They still have the potential.

I would not doubt for one nanosecond al-Qa'ida is in the process of designing an attack to eclipse 9-11. (Consider engineering designs can take up to years to produce) The FBI better get out of denial and complacency, get their tails in gear to figure out how to prevent another attack..

[PuraVidaDreamin]

2. Can anyone tell me the art of " leaking" info

Leaked reports, leaked info, does this leak mean
that someone inside of the FBI dislikes the Bush agenda?

Sorry for the ignorance.

[Last Lemming]

3. Uhh

Duh.

[PuraVidaDreamin]

7. Thanks, that was helpful

[Hoping4Change]

8. Hi PureVidaDreaming.

I believe you have misread Last Lemming's remark. If you look at the upper right-hand side of his post you'll see his "Duh" is in response to the Original Message and not to your query.

BTW Welcome to DU. Glad you're here. :hi:

[davsand]

4. I doubt al-Qa'ida staged the first one by themselves.

A guy in a cave someplace in remoste Afganistan is gonna pull off an attack coordianted down to the minutes? Using nothing but a few a few cell phones? No help from anybody inside?

Riiiight...:eyes:


Laura

[MellowOne]

5. And all the US security systems failed on the same day...

Yeah, right.

[leftofthedial]

10. The neotheocon death cult within the little bushturd's "adminstration"

was involved

al Qaeda barely exists

[asjr]

6. Al Queda doesn't have to try to destroy us again. Our pResident

is doing a damn fine job of destroying us all by himself.

[0007]

9. Who isn't on the same page? 'Hip waders' are needed to get through this!

http://www.news24.com/News24/World/News/0,,2-10-1462_1675742,00.html

The comments, cited in a restricted bulletin sent out to US security agencies and published by Time on its website, come two weeks after intelligence officials confirmed that Osama bin Laden had sent a message to Jordanian-born Zarqawi, urging al-Qaeda's frontman in Iraq to plan attacks on US soil.

I think junior is destroying things faster than any terrorist group could.

[uppityperson]

11. Does this mean we're supposed to stop being afraid?

no more terra terra terra? What happened to the CYA and Be Afraid policies?

[Briar]

12. See this story

http://www.news24.com/News24/World/News/0,,2-10-1462_1675742,00.html

for the propaganda mill's response.

[Nothing Without Hope]

13. You're supposed to be afraid of ravening hordes

of gays wanting to marry each other and cartoon characters of nonspecified sexual orientation corrupting your children by their non-macho-ness. It would be funny if the criminal goons pushing it weren't actually able to make it stick thanks to their pet poodle media.

When they want to move anti-terrahism up in the agenda, around the time for passing the next Patriot Act features or asking for more money/power for their wars, they'll arrange a TV extravaganza domestic "terrahist" attack and have it given saturated, hysterical coverage by the corporate media.

[Nothing Without Hope]

14. I'm betting this will be spun as evidence of the "success" of the

War on Terra (TM). After all, they haven't had much to point to as evidence that all the violence, waste and death bought anything, right? This will turn up in blivet** administration speeches, I'm betting, and there will be cheering from the adoring audiences.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

15. "Hush, little baby

don't say a word
Papa's gonna buy you a mockingbird."

[Zorra]

16. Bu*sh flip-flops more than a freshly caught epileptic tuna on

the deck of a fishing boat.

Then:

"The most important thing is for us to find Osama bin Laden. It is our number one priority and we will not rest until we find him."
- G.W. Bush, 9/13/01

"...Secondly, he is not escaping us. This is a guy, who, three months ago, was in control of a county . Now he's maybe in control of a cave. He's on the run. Listen, a while ago I said to the American people, our objective is more than bin Laden. But one of the things for certain is we're going to get him running and keep him running, and bring him to justice. And that's what's happening. He's on the run, if he's running at all. So we don't know whether he's in cave with the door shut, or a cave with the door open -- we just don't know...." -G.W. Bush, 12/28/01,

Later:

"I don't know where bin Laden is. I have no idea and really don't care. It's not that important. It's not our priority."- G.W. Bush, 3/13/02

"I am truly not that concerned about him." - G.W. Bush, 3/13/02

And now:

"Bin Laden's message is a telling reminder that al-Qa'ida still hopes to attack us on our own soil. Stopping him is the greatest challenge of our day." - G.W. Bush, 3/12/05

Where is that wascally wabbit, Elmer?