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Skriven 2006-09-26 23:31:28 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0609268) for Tue, 2006 Sep 26
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The Rest of the Story: The NIE Reflects Previous Statements About the War
on Terror
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For Immediate Release
September 26, 2006

The Rest of the Story: The NIE Reflects Previous Statements About the War
on Terror


ÿÿÿÿÿ Setting the Record Straight

Impact Of Iraq

Declassified Key Judgments Of The National Intelligence Estimate (NIE): "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." (Office Of The Director Of
National Intelligence, "Declassified Key Judgments Of The National
Intelligence Estimate 'Trends In Global Terrorism: Implications For The
United States' Dated April 2006," Released 9/26/06)
  þ President Bush: "Al Qaeda And Other Extremists From Across The World
    Have Come To Iraq To Stop The Rise Of A Free Society In The Heart Of
    The Middle East." (President Bush, Address To The Nation, Washington,
    DC, 9/11/06)

  þ President Bush: Terrorists Consider Iraq "The Central Battlefield" In
    The War On Terror. "But they've made clear that the most important
    front in their struggle against America is Iraq _ the nation bin Laden
    has declared the 'capital of the Caliphate.' Hear the words of bin
    Laden: 'I now address_ the whole_ Islamic nation: Listen and
    understand_ The most_ serious issue today for the whole world is this
    Third World War_ [that] is raging in [Iraq].' He calls it 'a war of
    destiny between infidelity and Islam.' He says, 'The whole world is
    watching this war,' and that it will end in 'victory and glory or
    misery and humiliation.' For al Qaeda, Iraq is not a distraction from
    their war on America _ it is the central battlefield where the outcome
    of this struggle will be decided." (President Bush, Remarks,
    Washington, DC, 9/5/06)

  þ President Bush: "If We Give Up The Fight In The Streets Of Baghdad, We
    Will Face The Terrorists In The Streets Of Our Own Cities." (President
    Bush, Remarks, Salt Lake City, UT, 8/31/06)

  þ White House National Strategy For Combating Terrorism (NSCT): "The
    Ongoing Fight For Freedom In Iraq Has Been Twisted By Terrorist
    Propaganda As A Rallying Cry." (The White House, "National Strategy For
    Combating Terrorism," September 2006, Available At:
    http://www.whitehouse.gov/nsc/nsct/2006/)


Adaptation Of The Global Jihadist Movement

NIE: "We Also Assess That The Global Jihadist Movement _ Is Spreading And
Adapting To Counterterrorism Efforts."
  þ President Bush:"As Al Qaeda Changes, The Broader Terrorist Movement Is
    Also Changing, Becoming More Dispersed And Self-Directed." (President
    Bush, Remarks, Washington, DC, 9/5/06)

  þ NSCT: "The Enemy We Face Today In The War On Terror Is Not The Same
    Enemy We Faced On September 11." NSCT: "Our effective counterterrorist
    efforts, in part, have forced the terrorists to evolve and modify their
    ways of doing business. Our understanding of the enemy has evolved as
    well."


Threat From Self-Radicalized Cells

NIE: "We Assess That The Operational Threat From Self-Radicalized Cells
Will Grow In Importance To US Counterterrorism Efforts, Particularly Abroad
But Also In The Homeland."
  þ President Bush: "More And More, We're Facing Threats From Locally
    Established Terrorist Cells That Are Inspired By Al Qaeda's Ideology
    And Goals, But Do Not Necessarily Have Direct Links To Al Qaeda, Such
    As Training And Funding." "Some of these groups are made up of
    'homegrown' terrorists, militant extremists who were born and educated
    in Western nations, were indoctrinated by radical Islamists or
    attracted to their ideology, and joined the violent extremist cause.
    These locally established cells appear to be responsible for a number
    of attacks and plots, including those in Madrid, and Canada, and other
    countries across the world." (President Bush, Remarks, Washington, DC,
    9/5/06)

Decentralization Of The Global Jihadist Movement

NIE: "We Assess That The Global Jihadist Movement Is Decentralized, Lacks A
Coherent Global Strategy, And Is Becoming More Diffuse." "New jihadist
networks and cells, with anti-American agendas, are increasingly likely to
emerge. The confluence of shared purpose and dispersed actors will make it
harder to find and undermine jihadist groups."
  þ NSCT: "Terrorist Networks Today Are More Dispersed And Less
    Centralized." "They are more reliant on smaller cells inspired by a
    common ideology and less directed by a central command structure."

  þ NSCT: "Today, The Principal Terrorist Enemy Confronting The United
    States Is A Transnational Movement Of Extremist Organizations,
    Networks, And Individuals _And Their State And Non-State Supporters
    _Which Have In Common That They Exploit Islam And Use Terrorism For
    Ideological Ends."

Underlying Factors Of The Global Jihadist Movement

NIE: "We Assess That The Underlying Factors Fueling The Spread Of The
Movement Outweigh Its Vulnerabilities And Are Likely To Do So For The
Duration Of The Timeframe Of This Estimate."
  þ President Bush: "In The Early Days After 9/11, I Told The American
    People That This Would Be A Long War _ A War That Would Look Different
    From Others We Have Fought, With Difficulties And Setbacks Along The
    Way. The Past Five Years Have Proven That To Be True." (President Bush,
    Remarks, 9/7/06)

  þ President Bush: Our Previous Strategy Of "Pursuing Stability To Promote
    Peace [In The Middle East] _ Left Us With Neither." "So we changed our
    policies, and committed America's influence in the world to advancing
    freedom and democracy as the great alternatives to repression and
    radicalism." (President Bush, Address To The Nation, Washington, DC,
    9/11/06)


Threat From Al-Qaeda


NIE: "United States-Led Counterterrorism Efforts Have Seriously Damaged The
Leadership Of Al-Qaeda And Disrupted Its Operations; However, We Judge That
Al-Qaeda Will Continue To Pose The Greatest Threat To The Homeland And US
Interests Abroad By A Single Terrorist Organization."
  þ President Bush: We Have "Damaged The Leadership Of Al-Qaeda And
    Disrupted Its Operations _ Yet Al Qaeda Remains Dangerous And
    Determined." (President Bush, Remarks, Washington, DC, 9/5/06)

  þ President Bush: "Today, We Are Safer, But We Are Not Yet Safe."
    (President Bush, Address To The Nation, Washington, DC, 9/11/06)

  þ NSCT: "_ Al Qaida Functions As The Movement's Vanguard And Remains
    Along With Its Affiliate Groups And Those Inspired By Them, The Most
    Dangerous Present Manifestation Of The Enemy _"


Dangers Posed By Al-Qaeda Affiliates


NIE: "We Assess That [Other Affiliated Sunni Extremist Organizations] Pose
Less Of A Danger To The Homeland Than Does Al-Qaeda But Will Pose Varying
Degrees Of Threat To Our Allies And To US Interests Abroad."
  þ President Bush: We Are Facing Threats "Posed By Different Strains Of
    Violent Islamic Radicalism." (President Bush, Remarks, Washington, DC,
    9/5/06)

  þ "9/11 Five Years Later: Successes And Challenges": "Unlike conventional
    enemies, terrorists do not fight on a defined battlefield. They are
    found throughout the world, even in countries that are friendly to us."
    (The White House, "9/11 Five Years Later: Successes And Challenges,"
    September 2006, Available At:
    http://www.whitehouse.gov/nsc/waronterror/2006/waronterror0906.pdf/)

Tactics Of Jihadist Groups

NIE: "We Judge That Most Jihadist Groups _ Both Well-Known And Newly Formed
_ Will Use Improvised Explosive Devices And Suicide Attacks Focused
Primarily On Soft Targets To Implement Their Asymmetric Warfare Strategy,
And That They Will Attempt To Conduct Sustained Terrorist Attacks In Urban
Environments." "Fighters with experience in Iraq are a potential source of
leadership for jihadists pursuing these tactics."
  þ President Bush: "These Terrorists Know They Cannot Defeat Us Militarily
    _ So They Have Turned To The Weapon Of Fear. And One Of The Most Brutal
    Weapons At Their Disposal Are Improvised Explosive Devices, Or IEDs."
    "In 2004, the administration spent $150 million to fight the IED
    threat. This year, we're providing $3.3 billion to support our efforts
    to defeat IEDs." (President Bush, Remarks, 3/13/06)

  þ NSCT: "They Use Suicide Bombings, Beheadings, And Other Atrocities
    Against Innocent People As A Means To Promote Their Creed."

Use Of The Internet

NIE: "We Judge That Groups Of All Stripes Will Increasingly Use The
Internet To Communicate, Propagandize, Recruit, Train, And Obtain
Logistical And Financial Support."
  þ President Bush: "Increasingly, Al Qaeda Is Taking Advantage Of The
    Internet To Disseminate Propaganda, And To Conduct 'Virtual
    Recruitment' And 'Virtual Training' Of New Terrorists." (President
    Bush, Remarks, Washington, DC, 9/5/06)

  þ NSCT: "Increasingly Sophisticated Use Of The Internet And Media Has
    Enabled Our Terrorist Enemies To Communicate, Recruit, Train, Rally
    Support, Proselytize, And Spread Their Propaganda Without Risking
    Personal Contact."
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