CIA says "We could lose this war"

[sMiLeYz]

'We Could Lose This Situation'

· CIA says insurgents now 50,000 strong
· Crisis talks over transfer of power

The White House yesterday drew up emergency plans to accelerate the transfer of power in Iraq after being shown a devastating CIA report warning that the guerrilla war was in danger of escalating out of US control.

The report, an "appraisal of situation" commissioned by the CIA director, George Tenet, and written by the CIA station chief in Baghdad, said that the insurgency was gaining ground among the population, and already numbers in the tens of thousands.

One military intelligence assessment now estimates the insurgents' strength at 50,000. Analysts cautioned that such a figure was speculative, but it does indicate a deep-rooted revolt on a far greater scale than the Pentagon had led the administration to believe.

 

[alchemize]

For such a secret organization, the CIA has more leaks than a collander.





Or maybe it is political.....




Nah, I'm sure it isn't political

 

[BaliBabyDoc]

So is it 5,000 or 50,000?

 

[UltraQuiet]

Originally posted by: BaliBabyDoc
So is it 5,000 or 50,000?

I heard Gen. Abizaid say 5000.

Not that that really clears it up.

 

[tnitsuj]

Originally posted by: alchemize
For such a secret organization, the CIA has more leaks than a collander.





Or maybe it is political.....




Nah, I'm sure it isn't political

Actually, I believe the details of this report were leaked from the White House after it was released to them. All the qoutes I have seen have been from "Senior Administration Officials" not the CIA.

 

[BaliBabyDoc]

I heard Gen. Abizaid say 5000.

Not that that really clears it up.

I'm willing to believe it is somewhere in the middle. But Abizaid's estimate seems a bit low considering the opposition (collectively) is mounting 30-40 attacks daily. Much like the US economy I'm sure there are plenty of "part-timers" that are difficult to account for.

 

[MonstaThrilla]

"There are thousands in the resistance - not just a core of Ba'athists. They are in the thousands, and growing every day. Not all those people are actually firing, but providing support, shelter and all that."