Iraq is the new Afghanistan: US

WASHINGTON: Iraq is now the new Afghanistan used by jehadi groups to train Islamic terrorists, the US State Department's Country Reports on Terrorism for 2004 has said.

Titled "Global Jihad: Evolving and Adapting", the report said: "Foreign fighters appear to be working to make the insurgency in Iraq what Afghanistan was to the earlier generation of jehadists - a melting pot for jehadists from around the world, a training ground, and an indoctrination centre.

"In the months and years ahead, a significant number of fighters who have travelled to Iraq could return to their home countries, exacerbating domestic conflicts or augmenting with new skills and experience existing extremist networks in the communities to which they return."

The report unwittingly seems to confirm the claims by many critics of the US invasion of Iraq who say the country as become a fertile recruiting and training ground for Al Qaeda. Describing the global jehadist movement as the "the pre-eminent terrorist threat to the United States, US interests and US allies, it said Al Qaeda "has spread its anti-US, anti-Western ideology to other groups and geographical areas".

More:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1095899.cms

From the report that got sent to the Italians it sounds like they are gaining knowledge on effective techniques to take back with them as well.

If that's what the article implies, then we are certainly not learning from history and past mistakes.

But who cares about FACTS when you have a faith-based world view bent on domination and opposed to the "reality based" people?

Sigh...

Imagine that. Whudda thunk it?

except a doofus like me, six million marchers, analysts from inside and outside the US government, and most foreign governments.

But, hey, we were just focus groups, not curveballs.

We invade, kill tens of thousands, disrupt their economy, install a puppet government, and now its a breeding ground for terrorists.

I'd say that * screwed the pooch on this one, as is his track record.
Anything he has touched turns to crap. Kind of the un-Midas.