I saw this earlier over at Speed of Thought, but I can’t make that much of Bin Laden urging Abu Musab al-Zarqawi to focus his attention to within our borders.

WASHINGTON - New intelligence indicates that Osama bin Laden is enlisting Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, his top operative in Iraq, to plan potential attacks on the United States, federal officials said Monday.

[snip]

The Homeland Security Department issued a classified bulletin to officials over the weekend about the intelligence, which spokesman Brian Roehrkasse described as “credible but not specific.” The intelligence was obtained over the past several weeks, the officials said.

First off, the “new intelligence” is not that Bin Laden and Zarqawi are communicating with each other as we’ve known that for some time, but it’s that Bin Laden is urging Zarqawi to move attacks from Iraq to the United States. I’m sure I’m not the only one who sees this as an extremely positive sign that Iraq is fast-becoming more secure and less of a terrorist haven.

In order for any terrorist group to pull off an attack within the United States, they have to have terrorists and materials inside of the States. I have no doubt there are terrorists within our borders, however I imagine (read: hope) the terrorists that are already inside the States have the full measures of the Patriot Act thrust upon them. Yes, our borders are pourus as just about anyone who wants in can get in with nothing more than galoshes, but has Zarqawi already sent his operatives to the United States?

The answer to that question is most likely yes, but that does not mean they aren’t sitting in jail cells or were deported as soon as they were found. However, the number of terrorists that Zarqawi would send to the United States would be very minimal and probably would not result in anything substantive.

I come to this conclusion by watching the events as they unfold in Iraq. Early on in the war, terrorist attacks claimed by Zarqawi’s group happened on a daily basis, often multiple times per day. They no longer do and the attacks they do claim often are one or two-man operations at best. Zarqawi simply does not have the manpower to spread his lines even more thin.

Sure, it only takes one terrorist within the United States to cause a terrorist attack, however try to put yourself in Zarqawi’s shoes for a minute. You’ve fought for around two years to force the United States out of Iraq. This doesn’t work so you try to start a civil war. Again, it doesn’t work so you try to threaten Iraqis not to participate in the elections. Yet again, this doesn’t work. A good portion of your top aides and top advisors have been captured and singing like canaries. Zarqawi cannot have much self-esteem left to open up a new front in his war.

This intelligence is however a bit disturbing, but it’s no more disturbing than when the Islamic Army of Iraq said they would attack the United States on our own soil. Threats and communications are a dime a dozen, but who says they can carry it out?

Watcher of Weasels linked with Whither Al-Qaeda?
Interested-Participant linked with UBL Tells Zarqawi to Hit U.S.
Speed of Thought... linked with Bin Laden urges Zarqawi to hit the U.S.