NPR: Iraq War Fueling Terrorism, Intelligence Report Says

Debbie Elliott and Mary Louise Kelly
NPR
Sep 24, 2006

All Things Considered, September 24, 2006 · A new assessment by U.S. intelligence agencies finds that the threat of terrorism has grown since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and that the war in Iraq has spawned a new generation of violent Islamic extremists. In other words, the Iraq war made the overall terrorism problem worse.

The leaked report, a National Intelligence Estimate, represents the consensus view of 16 U.S. spy agencies. It was produced by the National Intelligence Council, a thinktank of the U.S. intelligence community.

The document is still classified but it reportedly paints Iraq as a breeding ground for Islamist radicals.

It's the first formal report that assesses the global trend of terrorism since the Iraq war began.

The leaked report is also expected to have political impact, with campaigns in the final six-week stretch.

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