Terrorism is on the march

I guess the president was just misspeaking all those times. 

U.S. intelligence analysts have concluded al-Qaida has rebuilt its operating capability to a level not seen since just before the 2001 terrorist attacks, The Associated Press has learned.

The conclusion suggests that the group that launched the most devastating terror attack on the United States has been able to rebuild despite nearly six years of bombings, war and other tactics aimed at crippling it.    

Still, numerous government officials say they know of no specific, credible threat of a new attack.

A counterterrorism official familiar with a five-page summary of the new government threat assessment called it a stark appraisal that will be discussed at the White House on Thursday.

The whole article is interesting and important... even if this changes nothing. I'd guess that al Qaeda is stronger in different ways than it was in 2001, and probably in some ways more dangerous. It's well known that they've diffused and decentralized, but I'd also get that they've become much much better for obvious reasons at avoiding capture and functioning under duress. Which should serve as a reminder that half efforts often produce worse results than inaction.

Comments

[JimPortlandOR]

Analogy from biology: If you treat a bacterial infection with an inadequate dose of anti-biotics, you assist in making the resistance to antibiotics that comes from evolutionary change accelerate.

The weak or dumb terrorists gets eliminated, and the hardy survive and evolve.

Not to mention that we have created far more new recruits than we've killed experienced ones. Apparently, from reports, Al Queda has depth of leadership, some with decades of experience - much the experience coming from support by the US for fighting against folks we believed were bad guys.