Bush is warning that al Qaida is preparing for another attack on the US, perhaps with nuclear or chemical weapons. But remember, Bush is also trying to get Congress to approve a $419 billion defense budget for 2006.
The Associated Press reports that “in Pakistan and Afghanistan — where Osama bin Laden) and his chief deputy are believed to be hiding — intelligence agents, politicians and a top U.S. general paint a different picture.
“They say a relentless military crackdown, the arrests last summer of several men allegedly involved in plans to launch attacks on U.S. financial institutions, and the killing in September of a top Pakistani al-Qaida suspect wanted in a number of attacks — including the 2002 killing of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl and two failed assassination attempts against President Gen. Pervez Musharraf — have effectively decapitated al-Qaida.
“Because of the secretive and underground nature of cells that operate throughout the world, it cannot be known for certain what effect the damage done to al-Qaida in its home territory has had on operations elsewhere.
“Pakistani intelligence agents told The Associated Press that it has been months since they picked up any "chatter" from suspected al-Qaida men, and longer still since they received any specific intelligence on the whereabouts of bin Laden or any plans to launch a specific attack.
“They say the trail of the world's most wanted man — long-since gone cold — has turned icier than the frigid winter snows that blanket the mountains between Pakistan and Afghanistan, where the terror mastermind is considered most likely to be hiding.
“Pakistani officials have been quick to hail the long silence as a signal that it has already dismantled bin Laden's network, at least in this part of the world.”
What I don’t get, is Bush admitting failure in stopping al Qaida or is he desperate to get more money for the Pentagon?
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