Rice: today's al Qaeda a different 'kind of organization' from one behind 9/11

[maddezmom]

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Sunday al Qaeda has become a different kind of organization since it orchestrated the Sept. 11th attacks.

" I don't think that anybody would claim that this is the same organization, or the same kind of organization, that operated out of Afghanistan," Rice told ABC's "This Week."

She was responding to an article in the New York Times this week, citing U.S. intelligence officials, that said senior leaders of al Qaeda have re-established "significant control over their once-battered worldwide terror network."

more:http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/02/25/sunday/index.html


Rice urges Congress not to limit Bush authority in Iraq

WASHINGTON Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says it would be a mistake for Congress to micromanage the Iraq war.

She wants lawmakers to support President Bush's troop increase.

Appearing on A-B-C's "This Week," Rice says she hopes Congress recognizes its oversight role, and will allow there to be a "clear relationship" between the president and the military.

~snip~

Rice says it is impossible to distinguish between what is going in Iraq and the larger fight against al-Qaida.

link: http://www.abc25.com/Global/story.asp?S=6138626&nav=menu213_2

US covert operations helping Muslim radicals: Seymour Hersch

WASHINGTON (AFP) - A secret shift in US strategy in the Middle East toward undermining Iran risks sparking an "open confrontation" and benefits Sunni radicals, which may feed sectarian warfare in Iraq, said a magazine on Sunday.

US policy has been "redirected" toward undermining Iran and its Shiite Muslim leadership, the magazine reported in the issue that goes on sale Monday.

"The 'redirection,' as some inside the White House have called the new strategy, has brought the United States closer to an open confrontation with Iran...," Seymour Hersh wrote in The New Yorker.

The magazine reports that the United States is pushing its policy in the region with clandestine operations in Lebanon, Iran and Syria.

"A by-product of these activities has been the bolstering of Sunni extremist groups that espouse a militant vision of Islam and are hostile to America and sympathetic to Al-Qaeda," Hersh concludes.

more;http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070225/wl_mideast_afp/usattacksiraniraq_070225163633

[saltpoint]

1. Good advice on world politics frankly isn't Dr. Rice's long suit.

I don't think she could run a garage sale.

[goforit]

2. Thanks to you sweetheart!

[saigon68]

9. amerika's sweetheart

and her chimpanzee boyfriend

[CJCRANE]

3. Today's al-Qaeda is not

your Daddy's al-Qaeda.

I wonder who's fault that is? Condi?...Condi?

[Zorra]

4. What is clear about the relationship between Bu*h and the military

is that Bu*h is willing to sacrifice the lives of our troops and our national security in order to use our military as the PNAC world police force, in the service of private global corporate economic interests.

Rice is just one more murderering PNAC freak and should be regarded as a war criminal.

[Supersedeas]

5. The Secretary of State is telling us that al-Caca is responsible for all conflicts in Iraq??

No distinction between larger fight on al-Caca and what is going on in Iraq?

Talk about Poetical Political License -- as for being an honest forthright respresentative of the U.S. to the rest of the world...SHE IS NOT!!

[donkeyotay]

6. "it is impossible to distinguish?" That's exactly why the cowboy-in-chief

and his sidekick Can't Recall a Thing need oversight. The "larger fight." Like the one where we overthrew the legitimate government of Iran for nationalizing their oil? That larger fight?

[pretzel4gore]

8. hm hm..that's the fight...

context is everything, when disussing fights

[CJCRANE]

7. Follow the money.

This is another case of follow the money.

Case 1. Who paid the hijackers?
Case 2. Who is paying the Sunni insurgents?

[XemaSab]

10. Like Phillip Morris becoming the Altria Group?

:eyes:

[entanglement]

11. Hint: They're different because they use IPods and Blackberrys now

n/t

[Canuckistanian]

12. Yeah, now they're outsourcing

And hiring the cheaper Irani jihadists, right Condi?

[rodeodance]

13. US covert operations helping Muslim radicals

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070225/wl_afp/usattacksiraniraq_070225195342;_ylt=Au.3jK9Bb5tAq2NYLKK1RFvMWM0F

US covert operations helping Muslim radicals

2 hours, 8 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States is stepping up covert operations in
Iran in a new strategy that risks sparking an "open confrontation" and benefits Sunni radicals, a US magazine reported Sunday.


In The New Yorker magazine, Seymour Hersh reports that US military and special-operations teams have increased their activities inside Iran, entering from Iraq to gather intelligence and to pursue Iranian operatives.

US clandestine operations in Iran, Lebanon and Syria have been "guided by Vice President Dick Cheney," the magazine reported, relying heavily on Saudi Arabia and on the Saudi national security advisor Prince Bandar.

"A by-product of these activities has been the bolstering of Sunni extremist groups that espouse a militant vision of Islam and are hostile to America and sympathetic to Al-Qaeda," Hersh concludes.

"The 'redirection,' as some inside the White House have called the new strategy, has brought the United States closer to an open confrontation with Iran and, in parts of the region, propelled it into a widening sectarian conflict between Shiite and Sunni Muslims."

[originalpckelly]

14. WOWZA! I'm glad it made a major press agency.

Hopefully, it'll make the AP.

[Dr.Phool]

17. Hersh was interviewed Wolf Blitzer today.

He also said that a lot of covert stuff was being run out of Cheney's office and the Pentagon. The real reason Negroponte resigned as National Intel Director. Said he had an attack of the scruples and too many memories from Iran-Contra.

You'd think that CNN would at least post a story on it's website.

[Nimrod2005]

15. Is the US behind all evil in the world?

WTF is this?

[BushOut06]

18. No, but Dick Cheney is certainly making a run for it

For instance, I don't think that Cheney has much to do with the evil being perpetuated in Zimbabwe by Mugabe. But most of the other evils being done in the world? Probably.

[Rex]

16. Covert OPs and gaining airspace clearance over a few nations.

BUT we are not attacking Iran, because George Bush said so. :eyes:

[Gryphons Eyre]

19. state sponsored terrorism

One of the concessions Iran was asking for in the peace proposal rebuffed by the Bush White House was "to disband the Iranian rebel group the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq and repatriate its members." Saddam Hussein supported their activities within Iran and after the U.S. occupation they were undoubtedly supported by the U.S. while other groups were being disarmed and disbanded.

Iran has every reason to hate America for past threats against their national sovereignty and now we see an escalation that has only one goal in mind; military confrontation. When I first saw this story break:
Iranian bombing 'kills 11 people', my instincts told me the U.S. was probably funding terrorism of our own. I can only believe that I am not far off and how tragic that Americans must look on their nation as state sponsored terrorism.

g

[mix]

20. what a good idea!

we tried this in the 80s with bin laden and the mujahadeen in afghanistan

that worked out well

[truthisfreedom]

21. Bandar Bush is involved? Why am I not surprised?

[mix]

22. a portrait of evil, truly

eom

[Olney Blue]

23. She's right. They are stronger and angrier.

Thanks, Condi. You are a frickin genius.

[Supersedeas]

35. spin on stronger and angier in Condor-speak....'different'

[talkinghead]

24. Different?

As in a group that is now regaining strength since we abandoned our pursuit of Al-Qaeda to take on more "important" tasks such as starting a war in Iraq? As in a group that will be allowed to recruit more sympathies and operatives by exploiting American involvement in an unnecessary war? If Al-Qaeda emerges as a stronger group a large part of the blame will be placed on the policies of this administration.

[Bhaisahab]

25. Telegraph UK: US funds terror groups to sow chaos in Iran

US funds terror groups to sow chaos in Iran
By William Lowther in Washington DC and Colin Freeman, Sunday Telegraph
Last Updated: 12:30am GMT 25/02/2007
-------------------------------------

America is secretly funding militant ethnic separatist groups in Iran in an attempt to pile pressure on the Islamic regime to give up its nuclear programme.

In a move that reflects Washington's growing concern with the failure of diplomatic initiatives, CIA officials are understood to be helping opposition militias among the numerous ethnic minority groups clustered in Iran's border regions.

The operations are controversial because they involve dealing with movements that resort to terrorist methods in pursuit of their grievances against the Iranian regime.

In the past year there has been a wave of unrest in ethnic minority border areas of Iran, with bombing and assassination campaigns against soldiers and government officials.

CONTINUED AT
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/02/25/wiran25.xml

[rodeodance]

26. AFP: US covert operations helping Muslim radicals

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070225/wl_afp/usattacksiraniraq_070225195342;_ylt=Au.3jK9Bb5tAq2NYLKK1RFvMWM0F


US covert operations helping Muslim radicals

2 hours, 8 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States is stepping up covert operations in
Iran in a new strategy that risks sparking an "open confrontation" and benefits Sunni radicals, a US magazine reported Sunday.


In The New Yorker magazine, Seymour Hersh reports that US military and special-operations teams have increased their activities inside Iran, entering from Iraq to gather intelligence and to pursue Iranian operatives.

US clandestine operations in Iran, Lebanon and Syria have been "guided by Vice President Dick Cheney," the magazine reported, relying heavily on Saudi Arabia and on the Saudi national security advisor Prince Bandar.

"A by-product of these activities has been the bolstering of Sunni extremist groups that espouse a militant vision of Islam and are hostile to America and sympathetic to Al-Qaeda," Hersh concludes.

"The 'redirection,' as some inside the White House have called the new strategy, has brought the United States closer to an open confrontation with Iran and, in parts of the region, propelled it into a widening sectarian conflict between Shiite and Sunni Muslims."

Some US aid distributed to Sunni groups in Lebanon falls into the hands of radical groups, US, European and Arab officials told the weekly magazine.

[John Q. Citizen]

27. The US is at war with Iran, apparently. n/t

[spag68]

28. Why doe's this surprise you????

Negraponte Bolton-Iran Contra,,,, hello Ollie are you there?

[daleo]

29. Bush claims to fight terrorists

Yet uses them as allies when it is convenient. That was Reagan's way too.

[Miss Chybil]

30. Get the crazy bastards out of the White House!

Augh! I just can't take it anymore. Everytime I think it can't get worse, it gets worse.

[allalone]

31. what

they're not mostly Saudis anymore?

[carla]

32. Is that because

the 911 al-Qaeda isn't a CIA black ops? Or because it isn't being invested in by the same players that MIHOP'ed 911?

Google 911 Mysteries and watch the entire thing...

[Javaman]

33. I always cringe when she starts with, "I don't think anyone..."

She is vomit inducing.

[silvermachine]

34. Ugh...

...anyone notice this tidbit?
<<<Rice says it is impossible to distinguish between what is going in Iraq and the larger fight against al-Qaida.>>>
Almost word for word what her husband, er, I mean chimp says ad nauseum.