Issues Under Fire: After Trillions Squandered, Clapper Says Al-Qaeda Grows Stronger

"Team Losers"

After 12 years of fighting with 3 trillion and counting squandered, Al Qaeda lives on. Maybe they've been dinged up a bit, but the organization/movement/concept has managed to absorb the United States' best efforts and then some. At least, that's how those in the know have assessed the situation.

Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and CIA Director John Brennan gave testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee indicating Al-Qaeda has evolved, diversified and dispersed throughout the world over the last ten years. The results of their ability to survive has left the United States and its interest still venerable to attacks.

Thinking these revelations through to a logical conclusion one could deduce, the United States is losing its so-called war on global terror. Since it impossible to believe the United States was ever matched man for man, dollar for dollar or combat capability, how can these results be acceptable. Something is very wrong and most thinking people know it.

How should Americans, America's allies and American partners process this assessment. What are people suppose to think of a government that could spend trillions of hard earned taxpayer dollars with so little to show for it. How should those who gave life, limb and mental stability feel about their sacrifices. 

How could the most technologically advanced nation, with the most powerful military the world has ever known tell the world with a straight face, that the United States has failed to eradicate al qaeda as a treat to global peace and stability. Has the world been had? Has the American taxpayer been robbed? Was the United States military just used and abused?

With all the tools at the disposal of those responsible for protecting national security, homeland security and US interest around the world, the American people should be outraged with a report like this. Even after Americans were forced to give up privacy and personal dignity in exchange for "security" we still have to hear the treat is constant, the people must remain vigilant, the fight goes on.

Instead of testifying on Capitol Hill, those responsible should be shamefully tendering their resignations for reporting such failure when the nation sacrificed so much to ensure success.

According to Mr. Clapper, Al Qaeda is everywhere. Al Qaeda is still in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia to say nothing of Syria and Lebanon. In fact, Mr. Clapper says, we must even be mindful of American and European Al-Qaeda sympathizers traveling to al qaeda hot spots to train and fight. Mr. Clapper says these people could return to the states with bad intentions. 

The President says America can't remain on a war footing forever, but his people are telling a very different story. From Clapper and Brennan's conclusions, the United States will be involved in global conflicts forever.

The only thing more troubling than this fear mongering for future warmongering is the act that no one asked America's top intelligence professional how much more will this conflict cost and how much time is needed to get the job done.

Bottom line: If the US national security and intelligence professionals can't provide the world with some cost projections and reasonable timeframes, the American people need an immediate infusion of new faces and fresh ideas. 

Perhaps we should employ some intelligent intelligence professionals for a change.

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