Report: New NIE says al-Qaeda likely to use Iraq network for U.S. terrorist attack

Above: Camp Bucca in Iraq, an American 'detention' center with over 15,000 'detainees', has been called a 'terrorist training center'. The size of Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia is not known; estimates vary widely, up to 5,000 fighters.

The terrorist network Al-Qaida will likely leverage its contacts and capabilities in Iraq to mount an attack on U.S. soil, according to a new National Intelligence Estimate on threats to the American homeland.

The declassified key findings, to be released publicly Tuesday, were obtained in advance by The Associated Press...

The report makes clear that al-Qaida in Iraq, which has not yet posed a direct threat to U.S. soil, could become a problem here.

“Of note,” the analysts said, “we assess that al-Qaida will probably seek to leverage the contacts and capabilities of al-Qaida in Iraq, its most visible and capable affiliate and the only one known to have expressed a desire to attack the homeland”...

National Intelligence Estimates are the most authoritative written judgments of the 16 spy agencies across the breadth of the U.S. government. These agencies reflect the consensus, long-term thinking of top intelligence analysts. Portions of the documents are occasionally declassified for public release.

Read the rest at Army Times

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