조지 부쉬 미국 대통령은 지난 2001년 9월 11일의 뉴욕과 워싱턴에 대한 테러 공격 이후, 미국과 그 동맹국들은 알 카에다 조직에 의한 10건의 심각한 테러 계획을 저지했다고 밝혔습니다.
백악관 관리들은, 알카에다가 2002년과 2003년에 여객기를 납치해 이를 이용해 공격하는, 9-11 테러 식의 공격들을 계획했었다고 말했습니다.
미국내 목표물들로는 로스 엔젤레스 등이 포함됐으며, 알 카에다는 또한 영국과 페르시아 만 지역, 그리고 파키스탄에서도 대규모 공격을 벌이려 했다고 부쉬 대통령의 측근은 말했습니다.
(영문)
President Bush says the United States and its allies have disrupted 10 serious plots by the al-Qaida network since the terrorists' (September 11) attacks in 2001 on New York and Washington.
White House officials say al-Qaida had planned to hijack passenger jets and use them for a series of September 11-style attacks (in 2002 and 2003). Targets in the United States would have included (the city of) Los Angeles, and Mr. Bush's aides say al-Qaida also intended to stage major attacks in Britain, the Persian Gulf region and Pakistan.
The president discussed the terrorist plots during a speech (Thursday) aimed at bolstering support in this country for the war in Iraq. Mr. Bush says operations in Iraq are part of efforts to stop extremists who are trying -- in his words -- "to establish a radical Islamic empire that spans from Spain to Indonesia."
Mr. Bush says the terrorists that the United States and its allies are confronting are involved not only in suicide bombings and other "isolated acts of madness." They are spurred on, he says, by a philosophy comparable to Soviet communism and Nazi fascism.