Spy Agencies Say Iraq War Hurting US Terror Fight

A US intelligence document concludes what many have long suspected: The war in Iraq has encouraged Islamic extremist recruitment and violence, while weakening US influence in the global struggle against terrorism. The intelligence agencies agree that the US did succeed in weakening Al Qaeda, but extremism has spread and decentralized. President George Bush and other top administration officials continue to insist that the US is making progress with the war. The US has superior technology, but standard tools of war are powerless against stateless guerrilla fighters who mix with civilian populations. The internet unites the fragmented groups who resent Western presence or control in the Islamic world. One analyst points out that the US devotes far too many resources to fighting terrorists while essentially ignoring how they are created. – YaleGlobal