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Bush trip is not without dangers
Strategic Intelligence Estimates.com ^ | 1/10/2008 | Strategic Intelligence Estimates.com

Posted on 1/10/2008, 5:01:29 PM by John Robie

January 10, 2008 2:49 AM EST Intelligence Estimate for President Bush’s Trip to the Middle East and Persian Gulf

President Bush has embarked on an eight-day visit to Israel, the West Bank, Kuwait, Bahrain, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. Strategic Intelligence Estimates.com believes this tour is perhaps the most dangerous mission ever carried out by a sitting US President.

Strategic Intelligence Estimates.com was preparing an estimate on the threat to US leaders in light of the recent assassination of Benazir Bhutto. The estimate was set to focus specifically on the threat posed by the Al-Qaeda Network and likeminded organizations. In response to recent Al-Qaeda threats, we will now examine this threat through the spectrum of the President’s upcoming visit.

We assess the most plausible AQ attack scenarios would not target the heavily secured President. AQ is more likely to attack soft targets in the host nations. An attack that is relatively near to the President’s location would presumably be AQ’s ultimate goal in such a scenario. At the very least AQ would try to target the host nation while the President was in country or immediately prior to his arrival. The soft targets would most likely be highly symbolic and/or densely populated. The possibility also exists that AQ may attempt to attack hard targets on the fringes of the President’s security perimeter. If such attacks were carried out they would be a major victory in AQ’s psychological-warfare campaign that is designed to target the symbols of the American power. However, AQ would deliver a devastating blow to the American psyche by targeting the Presidency, which is of course one of the nation’s most enduring symbols. Targeting the Presidency would be embraced as a great attack by Islamist radicals, thus further emboldening their global religious war.

(Excerpt) Read more at strategicintelligenceestimates.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: alqaeda; bush; bushtrip; terrorism

1 posted on 1/10/2008, 5:01:31 PM by John Robie
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To: John Robie

A very interesting assessment. Thanks for posting this.


2 posted on 1/10/2008, 5:27:26 PM by mojito
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To: John Robie

Does al-Queda really want to face the wrath of a President Cheney?


3 posted on 1/10/2008, 5:28:11 PM by AU72
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To: John Robie

Bush is leaning just a bit toward a Bhutto death wish. If he’s attacked, he’s a hero, and if he’s killed, God forbid, he’s a martyr.


4 posted on 1/10/2008, 5:34:01 PM by flowerplough (Thompson should be the next president and Reagan should be the next face on Mt. Rushmore)
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To: John Robie

Lord God protect our president...


5 posted on 1/10/2008, 5:35:58 PM by tflabo
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To: John Robie

If they do attack, I just hope the little punks are caught and someone happens to wrap the sonofa***ch in bacon before hangin’ em.


6 posted on 1/10/2008, 6:12:10 PM by jack_napier (Bob? Gun.)
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To: tflabo
Lord God protect our president...

...and stop him in his foolish endeavor to give away Your land or bring harm to Your chosen people.

7 posted on 1/10/2008, 6:52:13 PM by Ranger Drew
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To: John Robie
"Bush trip is not without dangers"

So why didn't he send the First Lady like the Clinton Administration did.

/sarcasm

8 posted on 1/10/2008, 7:02:31 PM by mass55th
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To: AU72

Good point, but I dont think they are that intellegent.


9 posted on 1/10/2008, 7:04:47 PM by John Robie
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To: mojito

No problem. I am glad you found it useful.


10 posted on 1/10/2008, 7:04:51 PM by John Robie
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To: tflabo

He has the best people protecting him, but the region is so messed up that I always worry. I dont even like him traveling to South America or Europe, but the Arab world is a whole other story.


11 posted on 1/10/2008, 7:04:51 PM by John Robie
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To: jack_napier

“If they do attack, I just hope the little punks are caught and someone happens to wrap the sonofa***ch in bacon before hangin’ em.”

lol


12 posted on 1/10/2008, 7:04:51 PM by John Robie
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To: mass55th
lol

Yeah with Sinbad and a few other celebrities.

13 posted on 1/11/2008, 4:45:13 PM by John Robie
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To: flowerplough

I do not recall any President in recent US history who took so many foreign trips into dangerous regions and war zones. I was worried when he went to Pakistan and Colombia, and fortunately we did not know he was in Iraq until after.


14 posted on 1/11/2008, 4:54:29 PM by John Robie
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