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Home Front: Politix
Mr. Anonymous sez administration not understanding al-Qaeda
2004-11-08
The Bush administration has failed to recognize that Al Qaeda is now a global Islamic insurgency, rather than a traditional terrorist organization, and so poses a much different threat than previously believed, says a senior counterterrorism official at the Central Intelligence Agency.

Michael Scheuer, the former chief of the C.I.A.'s Osama bin Laden unit and the author of a best-selling book critical of the administration's handling of the fight against terrorism, said in an interview with The New York Times this weekend that the government "doesn't respect the threat" because most officials still regard Al Qaeda as a terrorist organization that can be defeated by arresting or killing its operatives one at a time.
Posted by:Dan Darling

#7  This would be the fellow who was in charge of the "Osama bin Laden unit" in the time leading up to 9/11, right?

Why should we be listening to him? He was part of the biggest intelligence failure in US history. He should be the Goofus, not Gallant, in this story.
Posted by: Robert Crawford   2004-11-08 10:11:18 AM  

#6  Mr. Scheuer served as chief of the C.I.A.’s bin Laden station from 1996 through 1999 and so knows the history of the government’s pre-9/11 efforts against Al Qaeda
Another way of saying this is: "Mr. Scheuer was fired in 1999 by the Clinton Administration who recognized him as a loose cannon and egomaniac. They realized that, if left in charge of the Al Queda effort, he would get in the way of the other, more well connected loose cannons and egomaniacs in the Clinton Administration."
Posted by: mhw   2004-11-08 10:10:17 AM  

#5  Mr. Scheuer served as chief of the C.I.A.’s bin Laden station from 1996 through 1999 and so knows the history of the government’s pre-9/11 efforts against Al Qaeda. He testified before the Sept. 11 commission, but is now critical of the commission for refusing to identify by name any top officials who should be held responsible for failing to prevent the attacks.


like Clinton, Richard Clarke, Sandy Berger (whatever happened to the docs in the dockers?) Mr. Scheuer, George Tenet......
Posted by: Frank G   2004-11-08 8:09:19 AM  

#4  Once you get thru the MSM spin, I think there is a very important message here. "The amount of punishment the C.I.A. has delivered to Al Qaeda since 9/11 would have wiped out any other terrorist organization," Mr. Scheuer said. "But this is an insurgent organization.’’ Is the key statement. He is saying that the CIA is treating AQ like the Euro terrorists orgs, Bader Meinhof, etc - a few dozen members that can be rolled up. Whereas we all know that AQ is like the IRA - a large proportion of the population will moreorless actively support them. Doesn't mean we can't win. Just means we fight them in a different way.
Posted by: phil_b   2004-11-08 8:01:26 AM  

#3  I thought the CIA guys had to swear an oath never to tell. And Mr. Scheuer was, subsequent to his book's publication, specifically forbidden to speak publically. So either he needs to be tossed out in the cold right now, or his management does, for aquiescing to this nonsense.
Posted by: trailing wife   2004-11-08 7:35:26 AM  

#2  I seriously doubt that the govt is not treating AQ as a worldwide insurgency. Rantburgers have been able to see that it's a global insurgency just reading the open source articles posted here. Does the term "jihad" ring a bell?
Posted by: V is for Victory   2004-11-08 7:10:33 AM  

#1  since when does the company let it's spooks go public with dirty laudry--this guy needs to stfu and keep it inhouse--he was very effective as head of the ubl unit--NOT--what's next-- mtv real world-cia
Posted by: SON OF TOLUI   2004-11-08 5:30:28 AM  

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