1. Anonymous says:

    ew,

    You are absolutely correct in noting that the most interesting things about this document are the things it doesn’t say, with Hezbollah at the top of the list. They don’t mention Palestine either. I could go on…

    But I have to make fun of a couple of things the document includes:

    We judge that groups of all stripes will increasingly use the Internet to
    communicate, propagandize, recruit, train, and obtain logistical and financial
    support.

    Thank you, Captain Obvious.

    Of course, they had to get this in:

    This could prompt some leftist, nationalist, or separatist groups to adopt
    terrorist methods to attack US interests.

    Somebody tell me again which century this is.

  2. Anonymous says:

    • Countering the spread of the jihadist movement will require coordinated multilateral efforts that go well beyond operations to capture or kill terrorist leaders.

    D’oh. How many times over the past 42 months have those of us opposed to the Iraq War/Occupation said that?

  3. Anonymous says:

    WO

    Yeah, if this is the best they can do, there really must be doozies in the rest of it. Any bets on how BushCo will avoid releasing the really devestating one on Iraq alone?

  4. Anonymous says:

    I am glad the Dems are on the offense with the NIE. Jane Harman has called for the Iraq â€NIE†to also be published.

    The fact of the matter is that common sense is all that is required. What many in the liberal blogosphere have been trumpeting for so long is so obvious. This massive intelligence complex that taxpayers fund has been emasculated by the focus of Bush-Cheney and their neocon cohorts in trying to fix intelligence to their brain-dead policy.

    Hezbollah has emerged much stronger with their recent conflict with Israel. Their recent massive rally and Nasrallah’s speech were defiant. Reading the translation of Nasrallah’s speech does not indicate that terrorism is any priority for them. Evicting the Saniora-Hariri group and their US leaning is his priority. His speech was more about Lebanese nationalism and an effective deterrence against Israel.

    Iran is now in the catbird seat in the Middle East. I am sure the NIE has nothing to say about that.

  5. Anonymous says:

    Read Laura Rozen’s piece at The American Prospect about Iran. They haven’t a clue, if they are getting their intel from Gorbhanifar. The Dems should just keep the pressure on to release the newest NIE, and also link it to the torture bill–if this is the best we got under a torture regime, why not take the moral high road and go back to legal interrogations? The current plan is just making things worse. There is no need to lose our souls over this. Take the time to do it right. Like after the Dems take the Congress.

  6. Anonymous says:

    Ditto Hezbollah, double-ditto Palestine.

    Bush’s disengagment there has been stupid or brilliant, but how can it not be mentioned? Instead we get this:

    …Four underlying factors are fueling the spread of the jihadist movement: (1) Entrenched grievances, such as corruption, injustice, and fear of Western domination, leading to anger, humiliation, and a sense of powerlessness; (2) the Iraq jihad; (3) the slow pace of real and sustained economic, social, and political reforms in many Muslim majority nations; and (4) pervasive anti-US sentiment among most Muslims – all of which jihadists exploit.

    Is Palestine (1), an â€entrenched grievanceâ€, or (4) â€pervasive anti-American sentimentâ€?

    And does â€pervasive anti-American sentiment†have causes that we can address, or does it just happen, like the desert wind?

    Or maybe the Palestine problem is not a problem anymore – I’m sorry I missed that story…

    Our tax dollars at work.