BRIAN ROSS REPORTS
- Like Jay-Z + the Beatles, But Worse
- Update: Help for Homeless Children
- Bush Era, Revised -- and with More Barbeque
- The Tax Woman Cometh
- Paging Mr. Stanford: Antigua Called
- Who Are You Calling Partisan?
- Update: IRS Won't Use Private Debt Collectors
- But Is It Art?
- PMA Scandal a Sore Point for Dems in 2010?
- Down in Flames
- A New Mystery for RNC Chief
- PMA Clients Were Big Givers
- Raided Lobby Firm Still a Force on Capitol Hill
- Stanford Update: Another $143 Mil Found
- Cheney, Hooked on Controversy
TOP BLOTTER CATEGORIES
- Abramoff Lobbying Scandal
- American Al Qaeda
- Avian Flu
- Beirut Hospital Out of Gas
- Cheney
- CIA
- CIA Secret Prisons
- D.C. Madam Affair
- FBI
- Federal Air Marshal Service
- Homeland Security
- Hurricane Katrina
- IRS
- Mark Foley Internet Scandal
- Millionaire Sex Scandal
- Nigerian E-mail Scams
- Norman Hsu, Clinton Fundraiser
- NSA: Wiretapping
- Osama bin Laden
- Payola
- Pharmacy Investigation
- PMA
- Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert
- Stanford
- Steele
- Terror
- Troopergate
- U.K. Airline Terror Plot
- U.K. Bombing Attempts
- Wen Ho Lee
- William Jefferson
- Zarqawi
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Exclusive: Terror Commander: New Attack Will Dwarf Failed Bomb Plot
July 13, 2007 4:37 PM
As senior intelligence and law enforcement officials met again today in the White House Situation Room to deal with the "summer terror threat," a top terror commander said an attack was coming that would dwarf the failed bombings in London and Glasgow.
Taliban military commander Mansour Dadullah, in an interview broadcast on ABC News' "World News With Charles Gibson," said the London attacks were "not enough" and that bigger attacks were coming.
"You will, God willing, be witness to more attacks," he told a Pakistani journalist in an interview conducted just four days ago.
Photos Inside an al Qaeda/Taliban 'Graduation'
Just last month, Dadullah presided over what was termed a terror training camp graduation ceremony in Pakistan, supposedly dispatching attack teams to the United States, Canada, Great Britain and Germany.
In this new interview, Dadullah talked about the ease with which he and his men operate inside Pakistan.
THE BLOTTER RECOMMENDS
"We have many friends," he said. "It is very easy for us to go in and out of the tribal areas. It is no problem."
Indeed, the rugged mountains of Pakistan have emerged as a safe haven for al Qaeda and the Taliban.
"They are the central front for al Qaeda," said Seth Jones, who studies the area for the RAND Corporation, a national security think-tank. "They are the area al Qaeda has based its international and regional operations. It is a very serious threat to the U.S. security," he said.
Pakistan continues to deny al Qaeda enjoys a safe haven in its territory.
Exclusive Video Terror Chief: Attack on the U.S. Is Coming
"The problem is people don’t understand the local environment," the Pakistani ambassador to the United States, Mahmud Ali Durrani, told the Blotter on ABCNews.com.
"Pakistan is doing more than its share. We have done a lot, we have captured a lot, we've killed a lot, and we continue to do it not just for your sake, but more so for our own sake," he said.
In testimony before Congress this week, U.S. intelligence officials were straightforward in saying they believe Osama bin Laden is in Pakistan and freely operating there.
"It's not that we lack the ability to go into that space," said Tom Fingar of the office of the Director of National Intelligence.
"But we have chosen not to do so without the permission of the Pakistani government," Fingar told members of Congress who demanded to know why the U.S. did not take more decisive action against a known enemy.
U.S. officials say Pakistan consistently denies the U.S. military permission to go after known al Qaeda training camps.
The situation has grown even worse since February, officials say, when Vice President Dick Cheney traveled to Islamabad to demand Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf take action.
"Their (al Qaeda's) situation is actually better today than it was even then," said the RAND Corporation's Jones.
"The U.S. has provided $5.6 billion in coalition support funds to Pakistan over the past five years, with zero accountability," said Congressman Patrick Murphy, D-Pa., at the hearing.
"Why is Pakistan still being paid these large sums of money, even after publicly declaring that it is significantly cutting back patrols in the most important border area?" he asked.
Do you have a tip for Brian Ross and the Investigative Team?
July 13, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (496)
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Wilder: er, um there is a big difference why Bush did nothing.
Iraq = no nukes
Pakistan = lots of nukes
Musharraf is one of those tin pot dictators that keeps the Islamic Fundamentalists in line. If the US go into his country to get Bin Laden et. al. and you have a larger Iraq-like situation with nukes in the balance as the Islamic fundamentalists will overthrow Musharraf for letting the Great Satan in. Just what we need, another mess. Couldn't we just EMP the area to shut down bin-Laden's dialysis machine?
Posted by: bonko70 | Jul 13, 2007 5:57:02 PM
wilder5121, why don't you find another rallying cry? Oil. Can't you liberals think of anything better than that? It's been used for the last 30 years when it comes to just about any Republican president. Why don't you blame global warming or the rich. Oh yeah, you do that already. Better yet, why don't you make an attempt to understand how the world works. If Bush fooled most of the Senate and Congress into voting to invade Iraq, who's the idiot?
Posted by: The Duke | Jul 13, 2007 5:57:08 PM
We should bomb the tribal regions of Pakistan into oblivian. We need to show these terrorists we mean business. If innocent people die... so be it. This is war. Innocent die. They use these people to hide behing because they know we will not atack. Parties over. Get serious as we did in Germany. Send the B-52 and the ships and don't stop till it's done. No surrendering. They will use that tactic to escape as they did in Tora Bora. Enough is enough.
Posted by: j miscioscia | Jul 13, 2007 5:57:18 PM
We're not getting any sweetheart deals on oil from Iraq, so I think it's bogus to suggest that as a motivator for the invasion. I think we invaded Iraq because there were bad guys there that we could attack with relatively small scale losses (and yes, 3000 or so troops, who freely signed up to be soldiers knowing the risks, is in fact relatively small scale). I think we don't invade Pakistan because even though there are bad guys there, Pakistan has missiles that can hit us in Iraq and Afghanistan, and they have nukes they can put in these missiles. Which seems like a good reason to work harder to prevent Iran from getting nukes, if you think about it.
Posted by: NotmyRealname | Jul 13, 2007 5:59:02 PM
You tell Mr. Zawahiri and Mr. Bin Laden that they are cowards. Come out of your caves and hiding places and face us like Men. You send your evil minions to do your dirty work. It is easy to send others to their deaths while you hide out deep in the earth. Come out of your caves and show yourselves. Lead the charge. Cowards.
Posted by: Dave | Jul 13, 2007 5:59:28 PM
This can't be true or Harry and Nancy would be doing something about it instead of chasing ghosts.
Posted by: Bob Mullins | Jul 13, 2007 6:00:49 PM
interesting how W says we invaded Iraq to make the US safer but by al qaida's own admission they are sending terrorists to attack us? does that not make the rest of the country wonder what was the real reason for invading a country which had no business being attacked. instead, W's vision of oil and revenge took precedent over vanquishing the real enemies in afghanistan and now pakistan. thanks W for your great vision and overall lack of knowledge. i guess if we just wait long enough for our military to be stretched even thinner we will be at the mercy of terrorists doing as they please in our backyard. and thanks for securing our border as well. this administration is simply a waste and for those idiots that voted him in twice the blood of our nation is on your hands for your stupid choice!
Posted by: steve | Jul 13, 2007 6:02:07 PM
Wilder: er, um there is a big difference why Bush did nothing.
Iraq = no nukes
Pakistan = lots of nukes
Musharraf is one of those tin pot dictators that keeps the Islamic Fundamentalists in line. If the US go into his country to get Bin Laden et. al. and you have a larger Iraq-like situation with nukes in the balance as the Islamic fundamentalists will overthrow Musharraf for letting the Great Satan in. Just what we need, another mess.
Posted by: Santa | Jul 13, 2007 6:02:24 PM
I am so sick of these garbage propaganda stories.
Terrorism is a joke. Really.
So a FEW PEOPLE MIGHT GET HURT OR KILLED. Yeah, that sucks but that is life. Death is the one certainty in life.
How many millions die from starvation? From
medical malpractice and improper medication? How many die in car accidents? From alcohol poisoning?
This terror porn feeds into the lies of those who profit from creating war and misery, on all sides of the game.
Why is broadcast television in trouble?
Spoon fed garbage like this that feeds the lowest common denominator.
Be responsible. Look at the Whole Picture. Question sources, consider agendas.
Terrorism is all about creating fear to achieve political goals. So, as hyperbolic as it may sound, the real terrorists are being served by your reactive reporting of spoon fed stories.
Pakistan is still open to terrorist groups because the Administration deliberately chose to ignore the stated goal of "draining the swamp" in favor of flooding the marshes in Iraq.
Do some real reporting. Please
Posted by: Justin | Jul 13, 2007 6:02:40 PM
To Paraphrase a truly Great American:
"The only thing to be TERRIFIED of, is TERROR itself!"
no truer words has any American spoken!
Posted by: Jon | Jul 13, 2007 6:02:44 PM
I agree wilder.....tactical nukes are available for a reason and should have been used Sept 12, 2001 as well as now..it is time America tells the world...this is what happens when you mess with America.
Posted by: Hap | Jul 13, 2007 6:02:56 PM
Sounds like ABC is to cowardly to post what I said.
Posted by: Dave | Jul 13, 2007 6:04:22 PM
Just like a liberal to blame the president, do you really think that the democrats are going to let us go and invade another country even if it to get Osama bin laden. Grow up and stop the hatred work with the comannder in chief, don't be a supporter of al queda by underminding the war effort. You libs are going to destroy this country.
Posted by: Hank Leikam | Jul 13, 2007 6:04:58 PM
The only solution is to vote Cindy Sheehan into Congress! Yes Virgina, America CAN be destroyed and the liberals and demoncrats are just the people to do it!
Posted by: Bob Sloggin | Jul 13, 2007 6:05:15 PM
Damn,some of you people are idiots. I almost added "liberal" but that would have been redundant.
Posted by: Fernie | Jul 13, 2007 6:05:43 PM
These terrorist are for real what they say they do. They know that the american people aren't listening until it happens and when it does they point thier fingers at Bush that's what these terrorist want every one is in thier playbook of terrorism's. They know that the american people would just ignore thier goverment's help and mostly ignore the terrorist themselves. America can't defeat the World Islamic Front peroid becuase of wimps who cant' stand up to it. Just blaming our goverment for nothing who are trying to keep us safe from an Al-qaeda massacre. These is a global movement that has been going on since the mid 90's. This war aint for oil this is for our freedom. Join us or join them. let see whose heads will roll.
Posted by: larry thompson | Jul 13, 2007 6:05:45 PM
Yeah, invade and make mad a nuclear armed islamic country. I seriously doubt that'll happen.
Posted by: Evil_Skippy | Jul 13, 2007 6:05:52 PM
Nice sit down with the enemy Ross. Another ABC terror exclusive!
Posted by: Bob Johnson | Jul 13, 2007 6:06:06 PM
Yes, the oil thing has certainly worked well for the President(right...).Of which Bush do you speak...the incompetent one or the evil one?
You're such foolish little people.
Posted by: Camillus | Jul 13, 2007 6:06:53 PM
We can all rest easy, in a year and a half Hillary and the Democrats can follow through on their commitment to find and punish Bin Laden. Time invade an sovereign nation with nuclear capability. Hopefully, Murtha leads that charge!
Posted by: Fran | Jul 13, 2007 6:06:53 PM
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