U.S. Report: Al Qaeda Has Strengthened

Intel Reveals Al Qaeda's Rise Since 9/11; Homeland Security Chief Cites "Gut Feeling" About Attack

(CBS/AP) 
Kringen said he wouldn't attach a summer timeframe to the concern. In studying the threat, he said he begins with the premise that al Qaeda would consider attacking the U.S. a "home run hit" and that the easiest way to get into the United States would be through Europe.

The new threat assessment puts particular focus on Pakistan, as did Kringen.

"Sooner or later you have to quit permitting them to have a safe haven" along the Afghan-Pakistani border, he told the House committee. "At the end of the day, when we have had success, it is when you've been able to get them worried about who was informing on them, get them worried about who was coming after them."

Several European countries — among them Britain, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands — are also highlighted in the threat assessment partly because they have arrangements with the Pakistani government that allow their citizens easier access to Pakistan than others, according to the counterterrorism official.

This is more troubling because all four are part of the U.S. visa waiver program, and their citizens can enter the United States without additional security scrutiny, the official said.

The Bush administration has repeatedly cited al Qaeda as a key justification for continuing the fight in Iraq.

"The number one enemy in Iraq is al Qaeda. Al Qaeda continues to be the chief organizer of mayhem within Iraq, the chief organization for killing innocent Iraqis," White House press secretary Tony Snow said Wednesday.

The findings could bolster the president's hand at a moment when support on Capitol Hill for the war is eroding and the administration is struggling to defend its decision for a military buildup in Iraq. A progress report that the White House is releasing to Congress this week is expected to indicate scant progress on the political and military benchmarks set for Iraq.

The threat assessment says that al Qaeda stepped up efforts to "improve its core operational capability" in late 2004 but did not succeed until December of 2006 after the Pakistani government signed a peace agreement with tribal leaders that effectively removed government military presence from the northwest frontier with Afghanistan.

The agreement allows Taliban and al Qaeda operatives to move across the border with impunity and establish and run training centers, the report says, according to the official.

It also says that al Qaeda is particularly interested in building up the numbers in its middle ranks, or operational positions, so there is not as great a lag in attacks when such people are killed.

"Being No. 3 in al Qaeda is a bad job. We regularly get to the No. 3 person," Tom Fingar, the top U.S. intelligence analyst, told the House panel.

The counterterror official said the report does not focus on Osama bin Laden, his whereabouts or his role in al Qaeda. Officials say the network has become more like a "family-oriented" mob organization with leadership roles in cells and other groups being handed from father to son, or cousin to uncle.

Yet bin Laden's whereabouts are still of great interest to intelligence agencies. Although he has not been heard from for some time, Kringen said officials believe he is still alive and living under the protection of tribal leaders in the border area.

Armed Services Committee members expressed frustration that more was not being done to get bin Laden and tamp down activity in the tribal areas. The senior intelligence analysts tried to portray the difficulty of operating in the area, despite a $25 million bounty on the head of bin Laden and his top deputy.

"They are in an environment that is more hostile to us than it is to al Qaeda," Fingar said.

[olebd]

Usually, a "gut feeling" comes after years and years of doing something. He doesn't have that history in him. He might as well carry around a crystal ball.

[olebd]

"We are entering a period of increased risk for a terrorist attack"

I don't think the risk has increased or decreased. I think maybe the republican fear tactics have/will increase as we come up on an election year in an effort to retain their influence in the white house.

[samrensho]

Just more republican fear mongering. Wait until they really crank it up in 2008. LMAO

[getit1776]

Gut feeling? This is how our nation's security is handled? How about some solid intelligence? But then again, that gets so twisted by the White House it's of no use.

[bluestardad]

OH NO MR. BILL!

RUN AWAY RUN AWAY

ONLY THE TEXASDICKTATER AND ROVE CAN SAVE US NOW WE SURLEY MUST STAY THE COURSE IN IRAQ BECAUSE IF WE DONT FIGHT THEM OVER THERE WE WILL FIGHT THEM OVER HERE!

WHERE IS BAGHDAD BOB OR TONY SNOWJOB TO GUIDE US AND TELL US WHAT TO DO?

MAYBE WE SHOULD ASK THE NEOCONS AT THE AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE TO MAKE US ANOTHER SURGE PLAN FOR THE MIDDLE EAST!

JOE LIEBERMAN SAYS THINGS ARE DOING WELL IN IRAQ HE CANT BE WRONG HE IS AN ISRAELI DISQUISED AS AN AMERICAN! 3 SOLDERS DEAD A DAY IS A SMALL PRICE TO PAY FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS NEVER BEEN IN THE MILITARY ANYWAY!

[jjp735i]

Bush's ratings are in the toilet and once again we start hearing about possible attacks. It's never ending. Bush drops in the polls, we get unconfirmed reports of attacks.

What does the CIA and FBI do with all that data mining information if they can't state a confirmed attack is coming instead of a gut feeling? We all have gut feelings another attack is coming. It does not go away.

Our boarders are wide open, of course we have a gut feeling an attack is coming. And when it does, Bush cannot claim it was the fault of Congress for tying his hands.

[trillion1]

True, bush has always used fear to distract the public from any current issue that is making him look bad. But cherthoff is such a total failure as head of DHS he has basically invited our next attack.

[truth_hurts2]

Why does the administration always get these "feelings" as we approach elections?
In the summer of 2004, the alert levels were all raised, just a couple months before Bush was re-elected, and there were more "feelings" in the summer 2006...and now as we approach the primaries.

Who should we really fear?

[smirk5]

Bush had a gut feeling 4 years ago that he could conquer Iraq.

[cathaleen]

The left has tied the hands of the CIA & FBI. Every time someone makes strides in trying to protect our country, there goes the liberals sticking up for the terrorists' rights.

[truth_hurts2]

Great journalism too-now the press publishes Chertoff's "gut" feelings. Are not journalists suppose to look for and print facts, and question some cabinet head who uses his "gut" feelings to himself try and cause a little fear in the american people?

[smirk5]

FBTA

Faith-Based Threat Assessment

[truth_hurts2]

Hey Cathaleen,

Not sure what country you live in but in the USA the founding fathers fought for and gave their lives for our Constitution. Too bad you let your fears treat it as if it were nothing more than toilet paper.

[spargle]

We need our military forces in this country, to defend against such attacks, not across the world stirring things up. Where will our 'national guard' be? Where are our 'reserves'? Where are the marines, etc? Off across the globe...

[ioweign]

The left has tied the hands of the CIA & FBI. Every time someone makes strides in trying to protect our country, there goes the liberals sticking up for the terrorists' rights.
Posted by cathaleen at 07:57 AM : Jul 11, 2007

What are you saying cathaleen - You want another SLAM DUNK! We now know that was a fraud.
The CIA has been restricted from operating in the US since its creation. And isn't it something that the US signed the Geneva Convention.

[lorrieann51]

It's that time of year again, "Fear Factor" returns. It seems that whenever Bush and his crownies are losing at something, the "Fear Factor" comes out. Now, they are losing in Iraq (Mission Accomplished???) even with their own party, so now they will be starting again with the "imminent attack" again. Come on, people, wake up, the only people that will be attacking us is Bush and his crownies (I would not be surprised to see something manufactured by this administration at the time of the 2008 Presidential Election so that he can use his "executive powers" to stop the election).

[cbs_oliver]

Some have a "reasonable suspician" that the Anthrax Attacks were a US government Psych Ops intended to scare up support for the "War on Terror".

In view of this it is alarming that Michael Chertoff says he has a "gut feeling" about terror attacks in the next three months.

[nonameabc]

Gut feeling?! What a joke! It is telling us there is no "terrorist" and this is just an image giving from the administration to us, threaten us. This kind of alert system is for political use. Imagine and my other gut feeling:
1. President stole the election,
2. 911 is under the plan of the administration (www.reopen911.org),
3. Then, we can find an excuse to Iraq,
4. Osama bin Laden is a friend of the admin. Come out with video tape to threaten us right on time,
5. The anti-missile system never work, just waste our $ to the admin. team or their friends,
6. The admin controls the oil price, they are stealing the $ from the world, including us,
7. The admin is *** up us... our country.
Good luck.

[cathaleen]

I would like to remind the pinheads out there that we are at war. Things are different. People are trying to kill us. Just because we're not singing "Over There" doesn't mean everything is fine. Ask the relatives of the people that were killed in the world trade center building and the planes on 9/11. All the liberal nonsense is great in "peace time", but now is the time for us to be a littler more flexible concerning the rights of terrorists.

[realpatriot1]

cathaleen,

The greatest restriction on the CIA in memory was the outing of Valarie Plame which led to the exposure of the CIA's anti-WMD front company. As a result, Iran & North Korea have obtained the nuclear material and technology to produsce nuclear weapons.

Professor Khan, the Pakastani who gave it to them is being protected by the government that the administration considers are key allie in the war on terror. Our Pakastani "allies" are also protecting Bin Laden & Al Zawari and we would rather let them go than offend the Pakastani dictator.

Conservatives have made their own contributions to our problems.

I have a gut feeling that whenever Bush is stuck in deep he plays the terror card. I fully suspect that the terrorists will strike soon and I'd like to hear Chertoff offer something other than a gut feeling, I'd like a plan to fight them over here so we don't have to fight them over there.

[ioweign]

Chertoff added, "We could easily be attacked. The intent to attack us remains as strong as it was on Sept. 10, 2001."

Wow - you have been hard at work with Homeland Security haven't you, Chertie!! How many jobs are still open in your department? No wonder you are going on "gut feelings"!

What happened to the spin "Fighting them in Iraq is better than fighting them here!"

[usawatchman]

They leave the BORDERS WIDE OPEN
and ALL he can talk about is his
BOWEL MOVEMENTS

YOU KNOW I'M GETTING TIRED
of the
BUSH ADMINISTRATION
and
OTHER REPUBLICANS / DEMOCRATS

THREATENING TERRORIST ACTS
until we
GIVE UP ALL OUR RIGHTS...

[gkc99]

"There's going to be a massive auto crash."

"There's going to be a big fire."

"There's going to be a bank robbery shootout."

"There's going to be a terrorist attack."

Well, duh! Something bad is always going to happen in the future. Does it make you a prophet to predict the obvious.

There are plenty of people in the world who, for whatever reason, want to attack the US. Sooner or later someone will succeed.

Is that any reason to trash our Constitution, our Bill of Rights, and our freedom?

Especially by an incompetent political hack like Chertoff?

"You're doing a heck of a job, Mikey!"==George W. Bushit.

[ioweign]

I would like to remind the pinheads out there that we are at war. Things are different. People are trying to kill us. Just because we're not singing "Over There" doesn't mean everything is fine. Ask the relatives of the people that were killed in the world trade center building and the planes on 9/11. All the liberal nonsense is great in "peace time", but now is the time for us to be a littler more flexible concerning the rights of terrorists.
Posted by cathaleen at 08:26 AM : Jul 11, 2007

How many Iraqis were involved with 9/11? NONE

Congress declares war.

The Geneva Convention is not liberal nonsense.

[rushlimpdrug]

"Summertime seems to be appealing to them," Chertoff said. . .
He added, "We could easily be attacked."
Fear, fear, fear. . .let us all continue to increase our fear we have nothing to fear but . .

Anyway, while on a sailing trip I once had a gut feeling like Michael Chertoff, turned out it was an upset stomach.
I suggest he take some Pep-tol.

[usawatchman]

I can't tell you ALL how
MAD I AM
I wake up this morning to news that
some BUREAUCRAT (Dept. of LABOR(OSHA))

http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=FEDERAL_REGISTER&p_id=19509

is trying some BACK DOOR ATTEMPT
TO OVER THROUGH MY COUNTRY

THIS YEAR ALONE

I had (have) to call
MY REPRESENTATIVES and VOICE MY OPINION
on
1) the NORTH AMERICAN UNION
2) the IMMIGRATION BILL and IMMUNITY for ILLEGAL ACTIVITY
3) a BACK DOOR ATTEMPT on MY SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHTS

DOES ANYONE ELSE BESIDES ME SEE A TREND HERE???

AM I , and OTHERS GOING TO HAVE TO
TAKE UP ARMS
and PUT
SOME THIRD WORLD BANANA REPUBLIC DICTATOR(s)
OUT OF BUSINESS
and TAKE BACK OUR COUNTRY

(NOTE: THE BUSH FAMILY OWNS MORE LAND IN SOUTH AMERICA
THAN THEY OWN IN NORTH AMERICA..(PARAGUAY / NO EXTRADITION))


DOES ANYONE ELSE BESIDES ME SEE A TREND HERE??


85-95% of the PEOPLE
want our border CLOSED
and OUR IMMIGRATION LAWS ENFORCED

and what do we get ???

CORRUPT POLITICIANS,
CORRUPT CRIMINAL GOVERNMENT
and
CORRUPT COURTS

I would suggest people
that everyone buy FOOD, GUNS, and AMMUNITION
while you still have the right to do so...

[bobgee_1999]

cathaleen: I wonder how you people would survive a trip to the water cooler/or this website if you didn't have your right-wing radio propaganda to tell you what to think? Who is defending terrorist's rights in this article or in these posts? I personally DO support SUSPECTED terrorist's rights, because a) by the definition this administration uses, everyone with an opinion contrary to Bush's IS a suspected terrorist, and b) because being suspected of something wasn't a crime last time I checked. So howe about slapping a bung in your hole next time you decide to define what the rest of us believe?

[omega39-2009]

Get that man some Pepto-Bismol. Seriously, with pressure ratcheting up on Bush and his Iraq policy,I expect to live under "red alert" for the next year.

[rharrin1]

nonameabc - You have some good points but your and idiot. 9/11 setup by our govenment..

Posted by guyfrompa45 at 08:22 AM : Jul 11, 2007

guyfrompa45 First responders, firefighters and police are all on the record as stating they were told Building 7 was to be "brought down" and many took that to mean that it was going to be intentionally demolished by means of explosives. Some even reported a 20 second countdown preceding the building's collapse, which can only mean one thing - that it was deliberately imploded according to a pre-determined schedule.

I am not accusing but I AM asking no building falls straight down or into itself unless it was intended to.
When buildings are imploded it takes weeks of looking at blueprints and the placing of explosives. Building 7 came down 8 hrs. after first plane can anybody explain how??? ( it's not like just throwing a stick of dynamite )

[panhandlpete]

Ratings are going into the toilet swirl, so how about some scare tactics.

How can we believe these people are really serious about stopping a terrorist attack when the southern border is open, and the military is recruiting the border guards to go to Iraq? The shipping containers are only inspected at about 5 per cent. Mexican truckers are driving on US highways, and who knows what they bring in. China is shipping us poison pet food, poison fish, and bad toys......that we know about.....is there more?

Oh, I heard several REPUBS say yesterday on cspan that "the insurgents are on the run, we're getting Al Qaeda...." (They can't be following us home for our military is still over there. Duh!)

If the 24% vacancies at the HS gets filled with loyalites, then YES, I will be afraid, very afraid, just like someone else noted, that 2008 could motivate an attack for political gain.

Vigilance from the people could be an effective tool........SAY WHAT.....someone did report the fact that pilots were training in Arizona and Fla and his report got "tossed or ignored."

Having stories such as this one printed could be covered in one statement: VOTE REPUBLICAN AS WE ARE THE PROTECTORS.

[prinzowhales]

I don't blame those 'counter-terrorism' experts for speaking "on condition of anonymity". They think al-Zawahiri is hiding in the rugged areas of Afghanistan and northern Pakistan...Did they see the last al-Zawahiri video?--Do they really think he has a video studio with backdrops like the one in the CBS photo the other day?

The 'Best of Bin Laden' collection gave us nothing like this...It looked like it could have been from 'BREMYA', any eastern Euro or Middle Eastern studio. I would think anything with the molded blue and orange forms and bronze looking plaques would stand out in the minds of anyone in this region of mud huts and rocketed madrasahs.

[uglyresult]

Dear Mr. Secretary:
We have a mechanism for indicating threat levels based on credible information, it's called the Homeland Security Advisory system. Perhaps we should create a new threat color - Chartreuse which indicates "The director of the agency believes he has a gut feeling". This is different from Taupe which means "The director merely has a case of acid reflux".

Summer passes with no terrorism incidents - Administration claims they were EXTRA successful at preventing the attack. Summer passes with a terrorism incident (heaven forbid) - Administration says "we told you so".

Your Doctor: "I have a gut feeling you may come down with brain cancer this summer"

You: "Oh my god. What tests did you do? Am I going to die?"

Doctor: "I can't tell you about the tests. I refrain from calling them credible. Yes you might die. Trust me".

You: "Now I'm filled with anxiety, what should I do to prepare for my brain cancer"

Doctor: "Be vigilant"

You: "What? I'm going to die of brain cancer and I'm supposed to be vigilant?"

Doctor: "Hey hey hey, calm down. I said you might die. It's just my gut feeling"

[lars008-2009]

what do you call an ideology that:

kills you if you don't join it...

http://islamqa.com/index.php?ref=82201&ln=eng&txt=islam%20law%20kill%20kaafir

kills you if you leave it...

http://islamqa.com/index.php?ref=696&ln=eng&txt=kaafir%20kill

kills you if you don't do what they tell you to do..

http://islamqa.com/index.php?ref=6035&ln=eng&txt=kaafir%20kill

kills you if you speak against it%u2026.

http://islamqa.com/index.php?QR=22809&ln=eng

kills anybody that is not a member of it...

http://www.hauns.com/~DCQu4E5g/koran5.html

still practices slavery

http://islamqa.com/index.php?ref=12562&ln=eng&txt=slavery

still practices pagan rituals...

http://answering-islam.org/Silas/pagansources.htm

allows the r a p e of babies and animals...

http://www.homa.org/default.asp?TOCID=2083225445

a. satanic cult???
b. islam???
c. all the above???

Our Prophet commanded us to fight the kaafirs when we are able and to attack them in their homelands and to give them three choices before we enter their lands: either they become Muslim and be like us, sharing our rights and duties; or they pay the jizyah (poll tax) and feel themselves subdued; or they fight, in which case their wealth, women, children and homes become permissible as booty for the Muslims.
http://islamqa.com/index.php?ref=13759&ln=eng&txt=before%20islam%20arabia%20pagan

[shanev137]

My "gut feeling" about Michael Chertoff is that working for the Bush Administration will be the last job he ever has, for the rest of his life.

[drummer94]

Be afraid. Be very afraid. Of your president. Lets see. There was no talk about getting out of Iraq. Yes there is, it's called a "different posturing of forces". I claim "executive privledge"- erroneously. Scoot gets convicted- then sentence is commuted- not pardoned because then he would have to answer questions. The "surge" needs time to work- never gonna happen because our guys are gettin knocked off at an alarming rate. Then there's the Gonzo thing. And on and on and on. Loony-toon needs to go.

[barbaraf4]

How much are we paying this clown? If "gut feelings" have become valid system of measure, I have several gut feelings I would like to share:
1. We can dismantle the Homeland Security department, because from now on, Chertoff will be reading tea leaves and entrails to project whatever nonsense Bush wants him to say.
2. The good Lord can take me home, because now I have seen it all. Instead of a government of checks and balances, we have a government of frat boys networking to keep their naked emperor in power, just long enough to squeeze one more dime out of the taxpayers.
3. Polls and intelligence data count for nothing, "gut feelings" rule!

[sandy19731]

FBTA

Faith-Based Threat Assessment
Posted by Smirk5 at 08:03 AM : Jul 11, 2007

good point!!

We wouldn't want to use science or technology.

[rushman71]

Kind of funny how you can pull the letters out of the word "liberal" to create the word "liar". You sure can't do that to "conservative".

[radiob-2009]

guyfrompa45

Doesn't everyone know the entire war,9-11,terrorist etc. is a farce? It is all a sham designed by the Microsofts gaming division in cooperation with Mattel toys,Pixar and Walt Disney.No one died from terrorism or the war in Iraq those were creations by Pixar and Walt Disney.The Koran is also nonexistent is was created by Bantam Publishing.


Believe all or part of this and I have some land to sell you in cyberspace.

[mudrose-2009]

Hey, Hey, the Bumperstickers are coming the Bumperstickers are coming. But don't be afraid now, remember they're only Bumperstickers!

[radiob-2009]

Oh I forgot to include Israel the cartoonist creator of Yogi Bear in this as co conspirators along with Mattel, Microsoft,Pixar,Bantam Books and Walt Disney.


They are all wagging the dog and we are following the tail.

Land in cyberspace for sale only 1 million a lot.

[mudrose-2009]

Kind of funny how you can pull the letters out of the word "liberal" to create the word "liar". You sure can't do that to "conservative".

Posted by rushman71

Famous quotes:

Politicians are the lowest form of life on the earth. Liberal Democrats are the lowest form of politician.

Another one: Man is war. War is conflict. Fightig is an elemental exposition of the age old effort to survive.

It is very easy for ignorant people to think that success in war may be gained by the use of some wonderful invention rather than by hard fighting and superior leadership. On this may I add do you see any one with integrity in that Congress?

[inventagod]

Bu$hCo preparing another 9/11?
Guess the boys have to do something to make those bad poll ratings turn around...
It worked last time.

[radiob-2009]

Mudrose wants three lots adjacent to Feelfree1



Lots in cyberspace come complete with neon headstones.

[drummer94]

Mudrose- by "hard fighting" do you mean your on your way? Take your masters with you.

[condumism]

"Gut Feeling" based upon the guilt of GOPigs slaughtering thousands of defenseless Muslims, all in the name of the NEOCON SLEEZE MACHINE. Or the guilt of no-bid contractors in Iraq stealing BILLIONS from the US taxpayer. Or the guilt of simply being a greedy GOPig!

[getit1776]

Kind of funny how you can pull the letters out of the word "liberal" to create the word "liar". You sure can't do that to "conservative".
Posted by rushman71 at 09:09 AM : Jul 11, 2007

No instead you get words that include: Vice rat is a neo con

[cantshutup]

Chertoff, why don't you tell us about your dual israeli citizenship...??? you F *UCK...i have a "gut" feeling the replublinazi's are fixin to start terrorizing Americans once again to keep bushit in power and control the sheeple...i also have a "gut" feeling that somewhere somehow someone is gonna grow the BALLS necessary to send you and the entire bushitt administration to the burning depths of H ELL where you all belong!!!

[dodaz-2009]

GEE, i wish someone had a "GUT" feeling on 9/11, or at least PRIOR to 9/11..oh wait,..they had HARD evidence,not "gut feelings" and did jack-
*** !!,.. so sorry,.. this "gut" feeling thing is more important..Keep up the great job Brownie, i mean Chertoff..America put it's faith in you ?...LOL

[mudrose-2009]

Hey, Hey, the Bumperstickers are coming the Bumperstickers are coming. But don't be afraid now, remember they're only Bumperstickers!

Gen. Patton, how dare you say that in the futcha all wars will be fought by politicians? They don't carry riffles! Why they sit on their fat butts and think base, oh, hahaha, "the base". How do we keep the base from tossing us out on the street. The base, hahahah, base. Are ya listening Harry? Are ya paying attention Pelosi? The Bumperstickers are coming! Yikes!