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Bilirakis: Intel Report Is a Strong Reminder of the Terrorist Threat We Face |
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July 17, 2007
WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep.
Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.), member of the House Homeland Security and Foreign
Affairs Committees, today issued the following statement regarding the release
of a National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on terrorist threats to the American
homeland:
"This comprehensive intelligence assessment paints a sobering picture of
the current and future threats posed by terrorists to the U.S. homeland.
"It is yet another reminder that ruthless killers like Osama bin Laden,
members of his al-Qaeda terrorist network and other radical extremist groups
continue to conspire and plot to carry out terrorist attacks on American soil.
"While the NIE highlights the successes of worldwide counterterrorism
operations in degrading al-Qaeda's ability to attack America again, it also
reports the depth of al-Qaeda's efforts to use places like Iraq and Pakistan as
a recruiting ground and operational center, respectively, to carry out its
jihad against the United States.
"The report shows that Iraq
remains a central front in the Global War on Terror. Al-Qaeda has
actively collaborated with Iraqi terrorist groups, like "al-Qaeda in Iraq," which
are responsible for thousands of deaths through bombings and assassinations.
Such active cooperation has helped to further the operational capacity of
al-Qaeda and allowed it to more easily adapt to the changing global security
landscape.
"In the aftermath of September 11th, America stood united and vigilant
against the terrorist threat. This report reminds us that nearly six years
after that fateful day, we risk diminishing the importance of this memory and
our commitment to fighting the Global War on Terror at our own peril."
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