"CAUSE CELEBRE" --- Bush Needs To READ the Report instead of goofing off riding his bycicle ....

BBC


Iraq war fuels terror - US report

The Iraq conflict has become a "cause celebre" for Islamic militants worldwide, declassified parts of a US intelligence report say.
The war has helped recruit "supporters for the global jihadist movement," the National Intelligence Estimate says.

---

The key judgements contain ammunition for both sides in the debate over Iraq, the BBC's Justin Webb in Washington notes.

He says the White House can point to a finding that "should Jihadists leaving Iraq perceive themselves to have failed, we judge fewer fighters will be inspired to carry on".

This is in line with what the president says about the need to stay the course in Iraq.

But, our correspondent notes, the report says also things the Bush administration does not, and to many Americans the difference between what the White House states and what the spies believe will be striking.

"The Iraq Jihad is shaping a new generation of terrorist leaders and operatives," the document says.

It adds that the conflict had bred "a deep resentment of US involvement in the Muslim world" and that "perceived jihadist success there would inspire more fighters to continue the struggle elsewhere".