U.S. officials: Iraqi insurgents educating Afghan, Pakistani militants

Islamic militants in Iraq are providing military training and other assistance to Taliban and al Qaida fighters from eastern and southern Afghanistan and Pakistans tribal areas, U.S. intelligence officials told Knight Ridder. A small number of Pakistani and Afghan militants are receiving military training in Iraq; Iraqi fighters have met with Afghan and Pakistani extremists in Pakistan; and militants in Afghanistan increasingly are using homemade bombs, suicide attacks and other tactics honed in Iraq, said U.S. intelligence officials and others who track the issue. | 03/31/06 03:00:00 By - Jonathan S. Landay and John Walcott

CIA missile hits compound thought to contain bin Laden deputy

A CIA-controlled unmanned aircraft fired a missile Friday into a compound just inside Pakistans border with Afghanistan after the CIA received intelligence that Osama bin Ladens top lieutenant and other senior al-Qaida members were inside, U.S. intelligence officials said. At least 17 people were killed, but it couldnt be immediately confirmed if al Qaidas No. 2 leader, Ayman Zawahri, or other top members of the Islamic terrorist network were among them, or were even present at the time, the officials said. | 01/13/06 03:00:00 By - John Walcott and Jonathan S. Landay

Questions about Chalabi pose dilemma for Bush administration

When Iraq's controversial deputy prime minister, Ahmad Chalabi, arrives in Washington on Tuesday for an eight-day visit, he'll bring a lot of baggage and a tough question for the Bush administration: Is Chalabi with us or against us? | 11/06/05 03:00:00 By - John Walcott

Letter from bin Laden lieutenant outlines hopes, strategy in Iraq

A 6,000-word letter from Osama bin Ladens second-in-command to al-Qaidas leader in Iraq outlines the terrorist groups strategy to oust American troops from Iraq, create a militant Islamic state there, use that as a base to overthrow the governments of other Muslim nations and finally destroy Israel. John D. Negroponte, the new director of national intelligence, on Tuesday released a U.S. translation of the July 9 letter from Ayman al-Zawahiri to Jordanian-born terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and took the unusual step of posting it on his offices Web site. | 10/11/05 03:00:00 By - John Walcott

Bush administration examines new measures against Syria

President Bush and his top aides are weighing new steps against Syria, according to U.S. officials involved in Middle East policy. Bushs national security team met Saturday to review policy toward Syria, the officials said. Options range from tougher economic sanctions to limited military action. One official involved in the deliberations said military action is unlikely for now. However, one option under consideration was bombing several villages 30-40 miles inside Syria that some officials believe have been harboring Iraqi insurgents. The officials said the U.S. government has complained to the Syrian government about the matter, but not received satisfactory response. | 10/01/05 03:00:00 By - Warren P. Strobel and John Walcott

Bush administration to examine new measures against Syria

President Bush and his top aides are weighing new steps against Syria, according to U.S. officials involved in Middle East policy. Bushs national security team is due to meet Saturday to review policy toward Syria, the officials said. Options range from tougher economic sanctions to limited military action. One official involved in the deliberations said military action is unlikely for now. | 09/30/05 03:00:00 By - Warren P. Strobel and John Walcott

British memo indicates Bush made intelligence fit Iraq policy

A highly classified British memo, leaked in the midst of Britain's just-concluded election campaign, indicates that President Bush decided to overthrow Iraqi President Saddam Hussein by summer 2002 and was determined to ensure that U.S. intelligence data supported his policy. | 05/05/05 03:00:00 By - Warren P. Strobel and John Walcott

Big gaps remain in intelligence on al-Qaida, report finds

U.S. intelligence agencies underestimated al-Qaida's efforts to develop biological weapons and still don't have a full understanding of the terrorist group's chemical-weapons programs, the presidential commission investigating the performance of American intelligence reported Thursday. | 03/31/05 03:00:00 By - John Walcott

Old problems dog new intelligence gathering, panel concludes

A presidential commission that's investigating U.S. intelligence failures in Iraq has concluded that many of the same weaknesses that plagued American efforts to investigate Saddam Hussein's regime are preventing the United States from collecting accurate intelligence on Iran's and North Korea's nuclear programs. | 03/29/05 03:00:00 By - Jonathan S. Landay and John Walcott

U.S. officials see gathering threat of terror attacks on Gulf bases

Concern is mounting among U.S. intelligence officials and diplomats that al-Qaida-related groups may be preparing terrorist attacks on Persian Gulf bases that support American military forces operating in Iraq. The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said unknown individuals have been conducting surveillance of U.S. military and diplomatic facilities in Qatar, the Persian Gulf state that houses the forward headquarters of the U.S. Central Command, which oversees U.S. combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. | 01/31/05 03:00:00 By - Warren P. Strobel and John Walcott

New intelligence reports raise questions about U.S. mission in Iraq

A series of new U.S. intelligence assessments on Iraq paints a grim picture of the road ahead and concludes that there's little likelihood that President Bush's goals can be attained in the near future. | 01/17/05 03:00:00 By - Warren P. Strobel

U.S. isn't winning against Iraqi insurgents, agencies warn

The CIA, the Defense Intelligence Agency and the State Department have warned President Bush that the United States and its Iraqi allies aren't winning the battle against Iraqi insurgents who are trying to derail the country's Jan. 30 elections, according to administration officials. | 12/17/04 15:21:52 By - Warren P. Strobel, John Walcott and Jonathan S. Landay

Post-war planning non-existent

In March 2003, days before the start of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, American war planners and intelligence officials met at Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina to review the Bush administration's plans to oust Saddam Hussein and implant democracy in Iraq. | 10/17/04 15:37:54 By - Warren P. Strobel and John Walcott

CIA review finds no evidence Saddam had ties to Islamic terrorists

A new CIA assessment undercuts the White Houses claim that Saddam Hussein maintained ties to al-Qaida, saying theres no conclusive evidence that the regime harbored Osama bin Laden associate Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. The CIA review, which U.S. officials said Monday was requested some months ago by Vice President Dick Cheney, is the latest assessment that calls into question one of President Bushs key justifications for last years U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. The new assessment follows the independent Sept. 11 commissions finding that there was no collaborative relationship between the former Iraqi regime and bin Ladens terrorist network. | 10/04/04 03:00:00 By - Warren P. Strobel

Iraq reconstruction efforts overcome by ongoing violence

In 1992, the United States launched a covert psychological warfare operation to convince regular Iraqi soldiers that they could keep their jobs if war came and they didn't fight for Saddam Hussein. For 11 years, the pledge was made in leaflets dropped from aircraft, in clandestine radio broadcasts, in covert contacts with Iraqi officers and in U.S. public statements.

But when war came, the United States broke its promises. | 09/16/04 15:41:36 By - Jonathan S. Landay and John Walcott