Special report: Tension escalates in Iraq

    LOS ANGELES, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Iraq war "has made global terrorism worse by fanning Islamic radicalism," a newspaper report quoted U.S. intelligence agencies as saying on Sunday.

    The war has also provided "a training ground for lethal methods that are increasingly being exported to other countries," the Los Angeles Times said, quoted assessments by U.S. intelligence agencies.

    The paper cited the "bleak analysis" by 16 U.S. intelligence units which said the conflict has spread extremism and serves as a laboratory for deadly tactics.

    The classified document, which represents a consensus view of all 16 U.S. intelligence agencies, paints a considerably bleaker picture of the impact of the Iraq war than the Bush administratio nor U.S. intelligence officials have acknowledged publicly, the paper noted.

    The report, titled "Trends in Global Terrorism: Implications for the United States," was completed and described to U.S. government officials in April but not made public, according to the paper.

    It said the 30-page report documents an array of disturbing trends in the war on terrorism and focuses on forces that are contributing to the evolution of Islamic terrorist networks from centralized structures to an increasingly fragmented ideological movement.

    This is contrary to the claim by President George W. Bush, the United States has become safer because of the Iraq War, the paper noted.

    The assessment pointed to the flow of Moslems from other countries, including Europe, to Iraq to join the insurgency, said the paper.

    Those who survive the fighting often leave and return to their home countries with dangerous new experience in urban fighting, bomb-making and - perhaps most important - credibility with other potential Moslem recruits, the paper quoted the assessment as saying. Enditem

Related: U.S. spy agencies say Iraq War amplifies terror threat

    

U.S. soldiers inspect the site where a car bomb exploded in Baghdad. US spy agencies have dropped a political bombshell six weeks before national elections, with the leak of a classified report concluding that the war in Iraq has spawned a new wave of Islamic radicalism and increased the global threat of terrorism (Photo: AFP) Photo Gallery >>>

    WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- U.S. spy agencies have concluded in a new report that the Iraq war has amplified overall terror threat by giving rise to a new wave of extremism, U.S. mainstream media reported Sunday.

    The report said rather than contributing to eventual victory in the war on terror, the situation in Iraq has worsened the U.S. position, both The Washington Post and The New York Times reported, quoting government sources. Full story>>

    Death toll in car bombing in central Baghdad rises to 4   

    

U.S. military helicopters hover above the site where a car bomb exploded in Baghdad. Iraq 's fractious parliament resolved a three week standoff by agreeing to a debate on federalism urged by Shiites and a review of the constitution demanded by Sunnis. (Photo: Xinhua/AFP) Photo Gallery >>>

    BAGHDAD, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The death toll in car bombing in central Baghdad rose to four on Sunday, and seven others injured, a well-informed police source told Xinhua.

    Earlier report said that two people were killed and seven others injured when a car bomb attack targeted a police patrol near Baghdad's morgue. Full story>>