Renewed Warnings About Al Qaeda

Terror Group "Remains A Grave Threat" To Middle East And The Western World, Says State Dept. Official

(CBS)  Written for CBSNews.com by Farhan Bokhari, reporting from Islamabad.

---

A senior U.S. official on Wednesday renewed warnings of the danger posed by al Qaeda to the security of the United States, the Western world, Pakistan and Afghanistan, in a message pointed at Pakistani leaders.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher, ending a three day visit to Islamabad, told a news conference: “Al Qaeda is very, very dangerous. It remains a grave threat to the United States, to the western world and also to Pakistan and Afghanistan. We (the U.S.) are not the only target. We are all going to have to deal with this.”

Boucher’s visit coincided with a much publicized Pakistani military campaign at targets belonging to pro-Taliban Islamic groups around Peshawar, the key northern city close to the Afghan border.

The campaign has been publicized by Pakistani authorities as evidence of their commitment to fight terrorist groups - a promise in contrast to claims from western diplomats who say that Pakistan could further intensify its efforts.

For the past five years, Pakistani military troops have been stationed across what is known as the tribal areas - a semi autonomous region along the Afghan border. U.S. officials have said the tribal region has become a haven for militants including those belonging to al Qaeda.

"Unfortunately they (al Qaeda) still retain a certain ability to operate in the tribal areas. They have friends that are (in) Pakistan and (among) Afghans to help them” said Boucher, adding that “some of these people (among Islamic militants) are very hardcore, very dangerous and we have to fight them."

Boucher also used the occasion to urge Pakistani leaders to stop internal squabbling over the future of President Pervez Musharraf and concentrate other pressing problems, notably security conditions linked to Islamic militancy and soaring food prices as well as the fallout from fuel prices.

Musharraf has been the president of Pakistan for the past nine years since he seized power in a bloodless military coup. He has remained a close ally of the United States since he turned his back on Afghanistan’s former Taliban regime and joined the coalition against terror right after the New York terrorist attacks.

Musharraf has become increasingly isolated since politicians loyal to him were defeated in national parliamentary elections in February this year. But critics of the new government believe that politicians such as Nawaz Sharif, the former prime minister and a leader of the new ruling coalition, have spent too much time focusing on Musharraf’s political fate.

“Frankly, President Musharraf is not the issue right now. This is not the problem that Pakistan faces right now” said Boucher. “The problem Pakistani people face is the danger of bombings, suicide bombers, rising food prices. There are energy difficulties” he said.

Pakistan’s new financial year which began on Tuesday saw prices of natural gas rise by up to a staggering 31 per cent, in addition to price increases of different types of fuels such as petrol, diesel and kerosene oil.

Pakistan, like other developing countries, suffers from the fallout of historically high global oil prices. But western diplomats warn, the country’s failure to tackle this issue could lead to angry street riots which in the extreme may bring down the country's ruling structure.

---

Farhan Bokhari has been covering Southeast Asia for several large European news organizations for 16 years. Based in Islamabad, he focuses his coverage on politics and security issues surrounding the war against terrorism.

[docadams3]

Send Joe Leiberman to intercept them. He knows where they are.

[vortex1001]

Dicless Boucher is best advised to comment on subjects he has some knowledge about - eg moonshine guzzling and *** his siblings
Anything beyond that is way beyond his limited mental capacity

[reptilian96]

BRIT HUME, HOST: It has been more than 16 years since a civilian working for the Navy was charged with passing secrets to Israel. Jonathan Pollard pled guilty to conspiracy to commit espionage and is serving a life sentence. At first, Israeli leaders claimed Pollard was part of a rogue operation, but later took responsibility for his work.



Now Fox News has learned some U.S. investigators believe that there are Israelis again very much engaged in spying in and on the U.S., who may have known things they didn''t tell us before September 11. Fox News correspondent Carl Cameron has details in the first of a four-part series

[gkc99]

Perhaps the Bushit Administration can arrange for an Al Queda attack this fall to boost the prospects of the Repug party.

So it would seem that Republicans would actually WELCOME another attack on the USA.

It''s their only chance of holding onto the power they love so much, and helps their Billionaire owners get even richer.

[reptilian96]

FOX NEWS discovered the presence of a massive spy ring inside the United States run by the government of Israel. This seems a harsh gratitude from a nation which obtains 10% of its annual budget from the American taxpayer, $3+ billion a year. Over the years, American taxpayers have been required to send Israel more than four times what the US spent to go to the moon.

[beehive21-2009]

The Big Oil companies, appear to be more of a problem,,the Greed they display is ruining the economy, massive layoffs, etc.The problem is BIG OIL running the White House? Whats going on ?

[noloyalisti]

What do you expect this frightened cowardly right wing moron to say?

[itgranny]

The people that die this winter from cold will far outnumber those lost in 9/11 and Iraq and Afghanistan wars combined. They are predicting more than a 50% increase this winter.

I would be far more worried about the attacks from the inside than Al Qaeda (ie: energy companies, speculators... our government)

[itgranny]

sorry, they are predicting a more than 50% increase in cost of heating oil.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/2008-06-29-home-heating_N.htm

[seis-6-six]

Al Qaeda is very, very dangerous. It remains a grave threat to the United States..

Well Duh!!!!
SHRUB took his eyes off the ball and invaded Iraq over a lie...
let them regroup on 2 fronts.

[payasyougo]

Not to worry. Obama will pull the troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan then all threats from Al Qaeda will vanish. And the US will live in harmony with the EU and the UN. And the economy will be great again and 99% of us will have free national healthcare and cheap gas. Hope is on the way.

[ajaxtheleast]

HERE YE!, ,HERE YE!, ,GET YUR PROGRAMS

OVER, , OH HERE YA ARE, BUDDY!, ,

GET YUR PROGRAMS OVER HERE!!!

CANT TELL THE RENEWED AL QAEDA WARNINGS

FROM THE FIRST AL QAEDA WARNINGS FROM

THE SECOND AL QAEDA WARNINGS!!!!

HERE YE!, ,HERE YE! GET YUR, , ,"

[liberalme]

Al Queda has been around since the beginning of time--the only reason we have a problem with them is because they got in Bushs way for the oil in Iraq.

With Bush doing everything he can to get us away from Bin Laden trying to focus our attention on Iran and Israel, I am totally convinced he was complicit in the 911 attack and now is trying to remain in office by finding whatever reason he can to attack Iran.

This man is nuts--totally certifiable.

If we attack Iran, Russia and China will let us know what an attack is---I can only hope they aim their first warheads at Crawford Texas and Washington---or wherever the terrorists in the White House may be.

[inventagod2]

Duh sky is falling!
Duh sky is falling!

[feelfree4u]

Re: "Renewed Warnings About Al Qaeda"

Obviously the Neocons/Zionists are planning to stage another "terrorist" attack on U.S. soil.

It seems to be only a question of when, and what we are going to do about it.

OOga-booga!

Don''t forget to be scared!

The neo-fascists will protect you!

[feelfree4u]

%u201CFrankly, President Musharraf is not the issue right now. This is not the problem that Pakistan faces right now%u201D said Boucher. %u201CThe problem Pakistani people face is the danger of bombings, suicide bombers, rising food prices. There are energy difficulties%u201D he said."

What a dubious clown. He sees a few relatively minor bombings as being more important than Musharraf- a military dictator, increasingly isolated and cornered, and armed with nuclear weapons.

Only someone completely devoid of competence could take neo-fascistic nincompoops like Boucher seriously.

[ubrew12]

US Asst Sec of State: "Al Qaeda is very, very dangerous. It remains a grave threat to the United States"

How is that possible, after spending $3+ trillion fighting these guys? For $3 trillion, we could have built the infrastructure necessary to guarantee us renewable (plus some nuclear) energy independence forever; thereby allowing us to battle Global Warming (eventually a more dangerous threat than Al Qaida) AND thumb our noses at oil-concerns in the Middle East. Why are we fighting wars there so China/India can have access to oil and take our jobs away?

[cyberus-2009]

I see the party liners are stoking the fear fires in preparation for the upcoming elections

[dmgenet]

Well then. Let''s bring home the troops from Iraq, and shore up our defenses. A boy scout could get a dirty bomb into the USA. Bush/Cheney''s reasoning and subsequent foreign policy are BS. They have left us vulnerable. It takes manpower and good old police work to combat terrorism on our shore. That goes for the domestic terrorists as well as foreign terrorists.

OIL is the answer...what is the question.

[dmgenet]

Part 2: Just more BS from the top BSer, George W. Bushit.

I believe that G W Bush really believes it and Dickless Cheney doesn''t. Oil is the word. Get into politics to make you and your friends rich.

[dmgenet]

Terrorism was a huge threat prior to 9/11. Just because it wasn''t acknowledged prior to 9/11 and then the terrorists get lucky we are to kowtow to a ''senior official''. Now there is a warning every month whether we need it or not.

Why wasn''t there hew and cry raised when the Fed building in Oklahoma city was blown up???? Because it was a domestic terrorist?

The threat is ALWAYS within.

[jennmarikp]

I hope I''m alive for the next revolution . . . it''s a coming and coming soon . . .the American people need to get their heads out of their butts and stop worrying about how nice their car is or getting pissed off at the person who cut them off driving down the highway. Start worrying about important things like will your children even live in a free society when they reach adulthood? Meanwhile the people are getting poorier and the government officials are getting richer. The government was put in place to speak FOR the people not AT the people!

[feelfree4u]

Re: "Renewed Warnings About Al Qaeda"

Thanks CBS!

I almost forgot to fill my pants in fear today, worrying about the contrived and mostly non-existent threat posed by al-Qua-Qua.

I''m sure that your blood-drenched war profiteering sponsor, Exxon-Mobil, appreciates the added profits that they enjoy from your empty scare-mongering.

[feelfree4u]

Re: "Start worrying about important things like will your children even live in a free society when they reach adulthood? Meanwhile the people are getting poorier and the government officials are getting richer. The government was put in place to speak FOR the people not AT the people!"

Posted by jennmarikp

Excellent points.

[j-whitman]

jennmarikp,,,, Not to worry, when our kids grow up in our free society McBush will send them to fight in Iraq for someones freedom

[j-whitman]

A senior U.S. official on Wednesday renewed warnings of the danger posed by al Qaeda to the security of the United States

So,, we are no more safe then before 9/11

[firststate]

al Qaeda would be much less a threat if the campaign against them and Osama bin Forgotten-Laden had remained the center of our military''s attention. Unfortunately, the administration came up with Iraq as a diversion. The war against that country diverted manpower and resources from the difficult task in Afghanistan to remove Iraq as a secular buffer against Iran and set the scene for the civil war in Iraq that is on hold. All the predictions about the bad results from removing Saddam have been proved correct and bin Laden is still wandering the mountains with his dialysis machine and generator plotting against us. He and al Qaeda have been too useful a tool for scaring people into supporting the Grand Oil Party to give it up by putting al Qaeda down and capturing him. They can''t afford to let us win the war on terror, it''s their main selling point.

[tbweb]

Bombs are not the only weapon, the economic weapon "oil" is just as effective! Osama bin Laden had a goal of oil prices reaching $140.00 a barrel 10 years ago and he actually lived to see it! Are we even trying to capture bin Laden, seriously? bin Laden must be celebrating about now since the price of oil per barrel exceeded his goal! Sad.

[firststate]

Every single day than bin Laden remains free is another victory for al Qaeda and an insult to those who suffered and perished on 9/11. He went from wanted "Dead or Alive" to Osama who? to the administration? McBush doesn''t seem too interested in getting him, either. It''s almost as if the administration has forgotten those vicious attacks on 9/11 as anything but a political tool. How can anyone who watched the towers fall decide that getting those responsible shouldn''t be our nation''s top priority?

[feelfree4u]

Re: "How can anyone who watched the towers fall decide that getting those responsible shouldn''''t be our nation''''s top priority?"

Posted by firststate


On a related point, I think that the people of New York will be voting on whether to conduct a fresh, independent investigation of the events of 9/11/01, when they vote in November.

I sure hope that it passes.

[firststate]

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher, ending a three day visit to Islamabad, told a news conference: %u201CAl Qaeda is very, very dangerous. It remains a grave threat to the United States, to the western world and also to Pakistan and Afghanistan. We (the U.S.) are not the only target. We are all going to have to deal with this.%u201D

This is Mr. Boucher''s stinging indictment of the administration''s schizophrenic attitude regarding al Qaeda and bin Laden. Instead of concentrating on taking bin Laden and pounding al Qaeda into irrelevance, they took them out of the military''s sights to start an unprovoked war unrelated to 9/11, al Qaeda, bin Laden, or terrorism. Our military performed well in Iraq, but their victory opened new territory for them and provided new recruiting tools. The benefits to al Qaeda of their actions outweigh the damage done.

[feelfree4u]

Re: "Unfortunately they (al Qaeda) still retain a certain ability to operate in the tribal areas. They have friends that are (in) Pakistan and (among) Afghans to help them%u201D said Boucher, adding that %u201Csome of these people (among Islamic militants) are very hardcore, very dangerous and we have to fight them."


Ever notice how fascistic imbeciles, like Boucher, have trouble speaking in complete sentences, when they are lying?

Boucher and his fellow goose-steppers are desperate to re-inflate the perceived threat posed by al-Qaqa.

[feelfree4u]

firststate,

You are an intelligent person. Here is a known photograph of Osama, compared side-by-side to a still-frame from the infamous "admission" video:

http://thebiggestsecretpict.online.fr/nwo/fake_osama_b_caught_on_tape.jpg


Can you honestly say that this is the same guy in both shots?

[firststate]

If he didn''t exist, this administration would have created one. He''s entirely to useful to them.

[downsteamjim]

Al Queda would be better off lying low until the election. An attack would hurt Obama''s chances of winning. Why fight when Obama would surrender?

[downsteamjim]

If Ben Laden is so easy to catch in the frontier region of Pakistan which is full of fanatics, why did it take years to catch the Unabomber or the Olympic Park bomber who were working alone in the U.S.

[liberalme]

Al Queda would be better off lying low until the election. An attack would hurt Obama''''s chances of winning. Why fight when Obama would surrender?



Posted by downsteamjim at 09:09 PM : Jul 02, 2008


Surrender to what?

[liberalme]

Here''s one for all you McCain lovers

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/02/mccain-fundraiser-oversaw_n_110354.html

[downsteamjim]

To liberal me: I am sorry. I forgot that defeat of the U.S. in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the annilation of Israel are liberal goals.

[liberalme]

To liberal me: I am sorry. I forgot that defeat of the U.S. in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the annilation of Israel are liberal goals.

Posted by downsteamjim at 09:49 PM : Jul 02, 2008

Defeat or win what?

You never answered me when I asked you what makes you think I''m a coward!

[sgtrds-e4]

The Bush administration let Bin Laden get away at Tora Bora because he was much more useful to them as a boogieman then a prisoner. If they had actually gone after Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and got them, then it would have cooled the war fever of the American public and they wouldn''t have been able to lie us into the war they really wanted in Iraq. Now the biggest threat to the United States and world peace is not Al-Qaeda, it''s Bush and Cheney. They are the true terrorists in the world today.

[sgtrds-e4]

A senior U.S. official on Wednesday renewed warnings of the danger posed by al Qaeda to the security of the United States

So,, we are no more safe then before 9/11

Posted by j-whitman at 07:26 PM : Jul 02, 2008

Actually, thanks to Bush and Cheney, we''re a lot less safe then before 9-11.

[liberalme]

Wasn''t our original purpose for going to Afganistan to go after Bin Laden?
Wasn''t it he (we believed) who was responsible for 911?

Why did we send more troops to Iraq? Iraq had nothing to do with 911.

Bin Laden wasn''t in Iraq.
There were no terrorists in Iraq until Bush used our troops as bait to get them there.

If Bin Laden is now in Pakinsta--why are we still in Afganistan?

Does Bush think we can go into every country in the world and "get" ALL the terrorists? (they are everywhere you know)

Soooo if Bin Laden is in Pakistan and our troops are in Afganistan and Iraq and we don''t get Bin Laden on Bushs watch---what will we win in those two countries?

[downsteamjim]

To Liberal me: Who called you a coward?

[liberalme]

To Liberal me: Who called you a coward?


Posted by downsteamjim at 09:56 PM : Jul 02, 2008

Sorry , wasn''t you--a different poster dog something--*** you neocons all look alike.

[brianbwb-2009]

"U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher, ... told a news conference: %u201CAl Qaeda is very, very dangerous... to the United States, to the western world..."

"Shortly before his untimely death, former British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook told the House of Commons that "Al Qaeda" is not really a terrorist group but a database of international mujaheddin and arms smugglers used by the CIA and Saudis to funnel guerrillas, arms, and money into Soviet-occupied Afghanistan. Courtesy of World Affairs, a journal based in New Delhi, WMR can bring you an important excerpt from an Apr.-Jun. 2004 article by Pierre-Henry Bunel, a former agent for French military intelligence.

"I first heard about Al-Qaida while I was attending the Command and Staff course in Jordan. I was a French officer at that time and the French Armed Forces had close contacts and cooperation with Jordan . . .

"For example, when one of us was late at the bus stop to leave the Staff College, the two officers used to tell us: ''You''ll be noted in ''Q eidat il-Maaloomaat'' which meant ''You''ll be logged in the information database.'' Meaning ''You will receive a warning . . .'' If the case was more severe, they would used to talk about ''Q eidat i-Taaleemaat.'' Meaning ''the decision database.'' It meant ''you will be punished.'' For the worst cases they used to speak of logging in ''Al Qaida.''

[sgtrds-e4]

"Terror Group "Remains A Grave Threat" To Middle East And The Western World, Says State Dept. Official"

Of course they say this. It IS an election year after all. This is this election''s version of the GOP raising the terror threat to orange every time they need a distraction.

[feelfree4u]

Re: "If he didn''t exist, this administration would have created one. He''s entirely to useful to them."

Posted by firststate

I think that this is safe to assume.

[feelfree4u]

Al-Qaqa is a grave and gathering danger.

It has all the hallmarks.

We''re turning the corner in The War On Terror (TWOT).

[brianbwb-2009]

"Pakistan, like other developing countries, suffers from the fallout of historically high global oil prices. But western diplomats warn, the country%u2019s failure to tackle this issue could lead to angry street riots which in the extreme may bring down the country''s ruling structure."

If only my fellow Americans had such guts.