WASHINGTON (AP) - National Intelligence Director John Negroponte acknowledged Monday that the jihad in Iraq is shaping a new generation of terrorist operatives, but rejected characterizations stemming from a leaked intelligence estimate that the United States is at a greater risk of attack than it was in September 2001.
Rather, he said, the high-level assessment from the nation's top analysts doesn't ``really talk about'' an increased threat inside the U.S. border. ``We are certainly more vigilant. We are better prepared,'' said Negroponte. ``We are safer. The threat to the homeland itself has - if anything - been reduced since 9/11.''
| I'm surprised he doesn't made the proper argument: you're always at a greater risk during a war. It's after you've won the war that the risk abates. |
Negroponte's words came at a dinner at Washington's Woodrow Wilson Center after the disclosure of a National Intelligence Estimate this weekend, which gave new fervor to an election-year debate about how the Iraq war has affected national security threats. The report, Negroponte said, broadly addressed the global terrorist threat, not just the impact of Iraq. Yet Negroponte acknowledged that U.S. analysts believe ``the Iraq jihad is shaping a new generation of terrorist leaders and operatives.''
The top Republican and Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee urged the Bush administration Monday to declassify the intelligence assessment. Negroponte said he would consider the proposal in the next several days, given the serious interest in the document.
| Might as well, the New York Times already exercised their Gaia-given power to publish it. |
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