GAO:" United States Lacks a Comprehensive Plan to Destroy the Terrorist Threat"

[Lanya]

GAO Slams Bush on Terrorism - says Al Qaeda attack likely and we have no plan
Posted by Max Bergmann

Here is the title of a report from the Government Accountability Office on combating terrorism released today:

    The United States Lacks a Comprehensive Plan to Destroy the Terrorist Threat and Close the Safe Haven in Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas.

That is not some line buried in the report. That is the title. Wow.

This GAO report may be the most damning condemnation of the Bush administration's counter-terrorism efforts. The report goes on to say that the Bush administration has failed to develop any plan to address the Al Qaeda threat. Worse, the report finds that Al Qaeda is now able to attack the United States and represents the "most serious" threat to this country.

The report's opinion of the Bush administration efforts speaks for itself:

    The United States has not met its national security goals to destroy the terrorist threat and close the safe haven in Pakistan?

Not only have we not met our goals but we have no plan to meet our goals:

    No comprehensive plan for meeting U.S. national security goals in the FATA has been developed, as stipulated by the National Strategy for Combating Terrorism (2003), called for by an independent commission (2004), and mandated by congressional legislation (2007). Furthermore, Congress created the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) in 2004 specifically to develop comprehensive plans to combat terrorism. However, neither the National Security Council (NSC), NCTC, nor other executive branch departments have developed a comprehensive plan that includes all elements of national power?diplomatic, military, intelligence, development assistance, economic, and law enforcement support?called for by the various national security strategies and Congress.

Al Qaeda can now attack the United States:

    ?we found broad agreement, as documented in the unclassified 2007 National Intelligence Estimate (NIE), State and embassy documents, as well as among Defense, State, and other officials, including those operating in Pakistan, that al Qaeda had regenerated its ability to attack the United States and had succeeded in establishing a safe haven in Pakistan?

Al Qaeda in Pakistan is the most serious threat:

    al Qaeda?s central leadership, based in the border area of Pakistan, is and will remain the most serious terrorist threat to the United States? al Qaeda is now using the Pakistani safe haven to put the last element necessary to launch another attack against America into place?

Al Qaeda is using the Pakistan tribal areas to put the finishing touches on its plans to attack the United States. A DNI assessment from earlier in 2008 reports troubling findings:

    al Qaeda is now using the Pakistani safe haven to put the last element necessary to launch another attack against America into place, including the identification, training, and positioning of Western operatives for an attack. It stated that al Qaeda is most likely using the FATA to plot terrorist attacks against political, economic, and infrastructure targets in America ?designed to produce mass casualties, visually dramatic destruction, significant economic aftershocks, and/or fear among the population."

http://www.democracyarsenal.org/2008/04/gao-slams-bush.html

http://www.hcfa.house.gov/110/GAO041708.pdf

[BT]

I though the dem plan was to bring the troops home. That the terror threat is overblown. I certainly haven't heard any dems advocating invading Pakistan in pursuit.

Have they?

[Xavier_Onassis]

Pakistan is the 6th largest country in population n the world at 169 million. Te Pakistanis are among Islam's most devout people, and the US is not popular among the Pakistani people. About all the US can do is use unmanned aircraft to reconnoiter and destroy Al Qaeda there. There is no way that sending troops could benefit the US, being as it would turn the Pakistanis from being annoyed by the US from afar to being opposed to it with a vengeance.

Perhaps the bit about Al Qaeda finalizing plans is a tad exaggerated.

[BT]

So the GAO is just jacking their jaws, is that it?

[Lanya]

We've had rights taken from us, we have torture and spying and it's to get terrorists.  The one thing we should be excellent at is getting terrorists. And we're not. We don't even have a plan. 7 years later, no plan.  WTF?

[BT]

We've had rights taken from us, we have torture and spying and it's to get terrorists.  The one thing we should be excellent at is getting terrorists. And we're not. We don't even have a plan. 7 years later, no plan.  WTF?

Do you advocate pursuit into Pakistan?

[modestyblase]

I'd rather go into Iran. Al Qaeda is not the only terrorist/militant organization to worry about. Iran has been giving arms to the Hamas. Clear reason to occupy, better than any given for Iraq.

Americans do need to relax some, though. Europe has far more to worry about than America does, any attacks in the near future will likely be in Western Europe.

[Xavier_Onassis]

I'd rather go into Iran. Al Qaeda is not the only terrorist/militant organization to worry about. Iran has been giving arms to the Hamas. Clear reason to occupy, better than any given for Iraq.
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Hamas is not attacking the US, nor is it interfering with anything the US is trying to do in Iraq. Hamas is Israel's problem.
Iran is not going to leave the neighborhood, it will always be next door to Iraq.

Al Qaeda is the major threat to the US. Iran has done nothing to the US that will not stop when the US leaves Iraq.