Bush/bin Laden symbiosis?

In Imperial Hubris, a book due out in July, a senior intelligence official describes the Bush administration's Iraq campaign as "an avaricious, premeditated, unprovoked war against a foe who posed no immediate threat," and argues that it has made our nation much more vulnerable to a catastrophic terrorist attack.

The anonymous official, identified by the Guardian of London as a figure "centrally involved in the hunt for bin Laden," is described by former CIA counter-terrorism chief Vincent Cannistraro as "very well respected, and looked on as a very serious student of the subject." Peter Bergen, author of two well-regarded studies of al-Qaeda, says that the official's views "represent an amped-up version of what is emerging as a consensus among intelligence [and] counter-terrorist professionals."

"'Anonymous' believes Mr. Bush is taking the U.S. in exactly the direction bin Laden wants, towards all-out confrontation with Islam under the banner of spreading democracy," comments the London newspaper. He also maintains that al-Qaeda, rather than being "on the run," as the administration and its mouthpieces insist, has become more professional, more efficient, and more decentralized--and hence much more dangerous.

The analyst also "thinks it quite possible that another devastating strike against the U.S. could come during the election campaign, not with the intention of changing the administration ... but of keeping the same one in place," continues the press account. "I'm very sure they can't have a better administration for them than the one they have now," he grimly observes.