Nuts iz nuts: Imagine what the neocons could have done with a Russian terror tie
by digby
Oh good, maybe we don't have to invade Russia now:
Initial indications are the two suspected Boston Marathon bombers likely do not have direct links to any major al Qaeda group or affiliates, or to a new significant terrorist threat to the United States, according to a U.S. official familiar with the latest intelligence information.
These are some early assessments but far from final conclusions, the official said. The assessments are part of a full interagency review now underway by the U.S. intelligence and law enforcement community, who are going back through their databases and information looking for any links to the two men.
In the last several hours, the intelligence review to a large extent has focused on regional militant connections the men have had in Russian or Central Asia. But the official also noted they simply may have been "inspired" by a militant ideology or may simply have been disgruntled persons aiming to carry out an attack, and had no connections to foreign groups. "We simply don't know yet," he said.
The review was ordered by James Clapper, director of National Intelligence. Initially, before the men were identified by the FBI, the review was looking at any indications of a threat emerging from overseas against the United States. Once the identities of the men became known, with their possible ethnic Chechen background, the focus shifted.
One official said some of the focus of the review is now purely regional - on any militant connections the men may have had in Russian or Central Asia. But he also noted they simply may have been "inspired" by a militant ideology or disgruntled persons aiming to carry out an attack.
I'm joking, but it pays to remember that the Wolfowitz/Cheney et al PNAC paper that launched Iraq originally targeted Russia long after the Soviet Union broke up. Don't be so sure they wouldn't have used this as an excuse for WWIII. They really were that crazy,:
That book "Present Dangers" was edited by Robert Kagan and cited these six "mounting threats" in the year 2000:
#1 China: The Challenge of a Rising Power
#2 Russia: The Challenge of a Failing Power
#3 Iraq: Saddam Unbound
#4 Iran: Fundamentalism and reform
#5 North Korea: Beyond Appeasement
The weren't very tuned into the global terrorism thing, but they made good use of it once it reared its ugly head.
I've had plenty of criticisms of President Obama's national security policy, but I think we can at least breathe a sigh of relief that he doesn't have the likes of William Kristol and Robert Kagan (not to mention the thoroughly nutty Frank Gaffney and Michael Ledeen) whispering in his ear. We'd be at Defcon one at this point.
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