Kerry: al-Qaeda more capable of attacking today

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) says terrorist attacks are currently at historic highs, stating that that al-Qaeda is more capable of attacking the United States now than it was in 2001. He says the next president should reform the war on terror and include more intelligence, making it possible to prevent terrorists from being recruited. (1:12)

Kerry: US played into bin Laden’s hands

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) says it is clear that invading Iraq was a grave mistake, diverting resources in the fight against al-Qaeda and, by failing to differentiate between a secular dictator and religious extremists, causing the United States to play into Osama bin Laden’s hands. (0:29)

Petraeus: It would be an honor to serve

In his speech addressing Congress before the full committee hearing on his nomination to be reappointed to grade of general and to be commander of the United States Central Command, General David Petraeus said there are four concerns. The first is violent extremism, including but not limited to al Qaida. Second, weapons of mass destruction and lack of transparency by countries such as Iran, which he said is a major cause of concern. Third, lack of sustainable economic development in the Middle East, which is a serious security concern, as poor communities can cause hotbeds of extremism. Fourth, narcotics and arms smuggling which can threaten legitimate operations and can help out terrorists. While this is not an exhaustive list, he said, this is a basic list.

A purely military solution is not the solution, he said, and the approach should be to first seek to strengthen our international partnerships with which to pursue our mutual interests. If he is confirmed, he said, he will search for comprehensive results, by looking for the underlying reasons for issues. I will work tirelessly as a combatant commander and Congress to work that those serving have best equipment, and care for those that have been wounded, Petraeus said. This is a sacred obligation that I take very seriously, he said, and it will mean carrying the heaviest rucksack I’ve ever shouldered, just as our soldiers are carrying heavy rucksacks now. There can be no alternative but to soldier on with them, to help us carry out our assigned mission. It would be an honor, he said, to serve.

Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno, appearing before the committee to be considered for appointment to the grade of general and to be commander of the Multi-National Force-Iraq, said that as he reflects on his nomination, he’s humbled and honored. He understands the great cost our nation has endured in Iraq, and the responsibility that comes with his position. Integrity, commitment and drive that such a position demands, is something that he hopes to bring with him should he be confirmed to his position.

During the initial speech of Petraeus, Code Pink caused a major disruption by shouting, screaming, and demonstrating their anti-war cause while wearing outfits that were depicting “bloody clothes” and “death.” While the Capitol Police removed them and Senator Carl Levin (D- Mich), Chairman, asked them to be quiet and refrain from demonstrating vocally. The remaining Code Pink members sat silently, holding signs that said “Stop the Killing” and “Endless War,” but not creating further disruptions.

Decrease of Osama Bin Laden's effect on al Qaeda?

The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence held a hearing today “Assessing the Fight against al Qaeda. The panel was consisted of Robert Grenier, managing director of Kroll Inc., Peter Bergen Schwartz senior fellow at the New American Foundation, and lastly Steven Emerson, executive director of the Investigative Project on Terrorism.

The fact that Osama Bin Laden is still at large does not surprise the panel. Peter Bergen touched upon the fact that Bin Laden has not been in a serious shoot out or close to getting arrested since the battle Of Tora Bora in Eastern Afghanistan in late 2001, where he “narrowly escaped being killed in massive American bombing raids”. He has learned not to communicate via satellite phones or internet so that he will not be the subject of the American Intelligence. This does not conclude that bin Laden has lost his power in the organization, on the contrary, now he communicates with his followers via video/audio tapes. As Peter Bergen said in his testimony, the people “love him” and the result is seen by the direct response of the young Islamists’ acts. Robert Grenier also emphasized the mentioned issue by saying that Bin Laden sends the message through the tapes and he has millions of followers, not necessarily directly linked to al Qaeda, who will carry some sort of a terrorist act. The increase in the Pakistani suicide bombings over the last year, for instance, proves the point of previously mentioned issue, since Bin Laden, in one of the tapes, said actions needs to be done against the Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf. Not to forget that Musharraf survived two deadly attempts.
Although Bin Laden’s effect on the organization is unquestionably high, Grenier believes that it is more important to capture the directly linked terrorists rather than the leaders, since the latter are in no way of moving and changing positions because they are scared of being captured.
Steven Emerson talked about the new government in Afghanistan and that it is in its “own best interest to be as aggressive as possible.”

However, the panelists believe that future al Qaeda attacks on the United States is very unlikely.

Military Experts Urge Troop Withdrawal from Iraq

General Barry McCaffrey, president of BR McCaffrey Associates LLC, Lt. (Ret.) General William E. Odom, senior advisor of Center for Strategic and International Studies, Maj. (Ret.) Gen. Robert H. Scales, Jr., CEO/president of Colgen, LP and Ms. Michele Flournoy, president of New American Security, all testified today in front of the Foreign affairs committee’s hearing on “Iraq After the Surge: Military Prospects.”

While introducing the topic of the hearing, Chairman Joseph R. Biden (D-DE) said “Iraq is dangerous and very far from normal.”

The witnesses started off by explaining the situation in Iraq and how the security has increased after the ceasefire. However these past few weeks, some southern parts of Iraq, such as Basra, have been witnessing some clashing between Shiites militia groups.

General Barry McCaffrey talked about how the tactical situation in Iraq has improved, but he showed his concern of the various Shiites militia groups in Iraq. However, he further emphasized the quality of the manpower of the U.S. army, the U.S. naval being not resourceful, and the latter has been one of the reasons why it has been hard to resolve the militia problem in the country. In addition to his concerns, he talked about the constant extension of the time frame of troop withdrawal and said it should be as soon as possible, because the conflicts in Iraq are far from resolution. After the current problems in the country, the struggle between Shiites and Northern Kurds will start, mostly on oil and territory, thus “it makes sense to get out of there now” said the General.

The hearing continued with General William E. Odom, who talked about the importance of troop withdrawal, and Al-Qaeda hatred in the country and by its neighbors. Gen. Odom also stressed the importance of progressing good relations with Iran, since the latter country is a crucial power in the region.

Gen. Scales and Ms. Fournoy both stressed the importance of withdrawing the troops strategically and leaving trainers on sight to help and train the Iraqi Army and the government for future threats. President Bush’s strategy on remaining until the Iraqis were in need of help was said to be unrealistic by the witnesses, since that makes the Iraqis rely and be dependent on the U.S. forces rather than their own. Gen. Scales also added “the best way to make the Iraqi government effective is to get them fight.”