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Coleen rowley fbi not ready war { February 26 2003 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
http://www.kstp.com/article/view/85744/http://www.kstp.com/article/view/85744/
Coleen Rowley: FBI not ready for new terrorist attacks war with Iraq could trigger Watch video
Updated: 03-06-2003 08:22:21 PM
MINNEAPOLIS – Coleen Rowley, the FBI agent who exposed intelligence failures related to the September 11 terrorist attacks, is now warning that the agency is unprepared for terrorist attacks that could follow a U.S. war against Iraq.
"We are going to have more terrorist attacks in the U.S. as a result, in the short term perhaps, but also in the long term," Rowley told Eyewitness News during an interview Thursday.
In her bluntly worded, 7-pageletter to FBI director Robert Mueller dated February 26, 2003, Rowley said he had a responsibility to warn the White House that the bureau would not be able to "stem the flood of terrorism that will likely head our way in the wake of an attack on Iraq."
Rowley, a 22-year veteran of the FBI, went on to say "what troubles me the most is that I have no assurance that you have made that clear to the president."
Rowley also said in the message that the bureau "should be deluding neither ourselves nor the American people that there is any way the FBI ... will be able to stem the flood of terrorism that will likely head our way in the wake of an attack on Iraq."
Stressing that she was expressing her personal views, Rowley told Mueller that a U.S. attack on Iraq "may have grave consequences for your ability to discharge your responsibility to protect Americans, and it is altogether likely you will find yourself a helpless bystander to a rash of 9/11s."
After getting no reply from Mueller, Rowley gave a copy of her letter to the New York Times and the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
The FBI made no comment to Eyewitness News.
Rowley said her letter was not to be critical of the FBI, and said the bureau has been making good progress in the war on terrorism.
"Across the board, with state and local law enforcement in Minnesota, we are probably as prepared as we can be," Rowley told Eyewitness News. "What I am saying is that it's not going to matter. There is no such thing as being able to prevent acts of terrorism when we have the problem get far worse than it is now.
Rowley compared the current situation with Iraq to the burning of the standoff with Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas in 1993. That standoff ended when the compound caught fire during a raid by federal agents, killing 74 people.
"I think it's very close to being very analogous to what we have in Iraq: a bad guy – very bad – that we want out, he's dangerous, and now it's a question of how to do this in the most effective way that is going to achieve the best result."
As for what may be effective, Rowley said "maybe give it more time and maybe think harder."
"I think in these final days there might be a better way, a smarter way, of doing that without incurring the costs of launching a pre-emptive strike without worldwide support right now. I think we can do something that is very counterproductive."
Earlier, Rowley told an ABC News reporter that there is concern among agents that terrorist attacks may occur at the outbreak of war, but added that we may see even more attacks in the long term.
"By launching this war, we will see other jihad extremists linking together-- we are almost doing what they want by strengthening their cause," Rowley told the reporter. "We can get better at dealing with terrorism but if the problem gets worse we will still face terrorist threats."
White House spokesman Ari Fleischer discounted Rowley's warning. He said the president takes all warning seriously, but the administration heard the same thing about attacking Afghanistan and the Taliban.
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