Mideast violence may raise odds of US attack: experts
"There will be revenge attacks," said one former U.S. official, who remains up to date on counterterrorism strategy.
"The
concern now is that there's rising animosity that will be exploited,
not just by Hizbollah," said the former official, who spoke on
condition of anonymity, adding: "Then there are people being driven
over the edge by what's happening, who aren't necessarily members of
any group, but who might strike."
Mon Jul 24, 2006 5:18pm ET 
By David Morgan
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Bush
administration's tacit support for Israeli military strikes on Lebanon
may have increased the danger of militant retaliation against the
United States and U.S. interests abroad, some experts say.
U.S.
and European authorities have stepped up vigilance against groups
including Hizbollah, which intelligence experts say has cells in North
America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
Israel's
attempt to cripple Hizbollah in Lebanon may have strengthened the
Shi'ite organization by winning it fresh political support among
moderate Arabs and Muslims, former officials and other experts said.
The Bush administration's stance that calling an immediate
ceasefire would not be productive has also angered many Arabs at a time
when bombings in Lebanon are causing large numbers of Muslim civilian
casualties, they added.
Washington argues it is supporting long-term efforts against terrorism in the region.
One
European counterterrorism official said it was widely recognized there
that Middle East hostilities could become a motivating factor for Sunni
groups inspired by Osama bin Laden who ordinarily dislike Hizbollah but
might try to exploit the outrage in Arab communities.
"Even al
Qaeda itself may be ready with an attack, and they may choose to use it
now," said Michael Scheuer, a former CIA counterterrorism official who
ran the agency's bin Laden unit.
But Peter Brookes of the
Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, said the Middle East
crisis had not increased the already tangible danger of attack. "We've
always been a target, and Hizbollah already has American blood on its
hands," Brookes said.
GROWING DANGER
Some former intelligence officers were adamant about a growing danger, however.
"There will be revenge attacks," said one former U.S. official, who remains up to date on counterterrorism strategy.
"The
concern now is that there's rising animosity that will be exploited,
not just by Hizbollah," said the former official, who spoke on
condition of anonymity, adding: "Then there are people being driven
over the edge by what's happening, who aren't necessarily members of
any group, but who might strike."
Hizbollah had roles in a number of attacks on American targets
in the 1980s and 1990s, including the 1983 barracks bombing that killed
241 U.S. Marines, Navy personnel and Army soldiers in Beirut, according
to the State Department.
Source - Reuters.com
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