Yet the allied victory in that war has not deterred other wars, as the fighting that has accompanied the disintegration of Yugoslavia demonstrates. Indeed, the victory in the Persian Gulf has not even brought stability to that troubled region. Simply put, the end of the Cold War has not led to a more peaceful world, and as the attacks on Americans in Saudi Arabia testify, the United States is the target of those who challenge the status quo. The failure of U.S. intelligence to anticipate such attacks is significant. Intelligence failures left the military personnel in Khobar Towers, as well as the 4404th wing's leaders, largely unaware of the magnitude of the threat they faced.
Intelligence agencies are America's eyes and ears in a dangerous world.
Their purpose is to warn us of threats, so that we have time to take measures to protect ourselves. In a world in which terrorists have openly declared war against the United States, that mission should not be compromised, or we will risk the needless deaths of even more Americans. The terrorist attacks in Saudi Arabia, Israel, and other countries suggest that the trend in the Middle East is not nearly as hopeful as it appeared just a few years ago. It is striking, for example, that Americans are being attacked in Saudi Arabia, a country we fought a war to protect. Certainly, the actions of a few extremists do not necessarily reflect the attitudes of an entire people, but the absence of any popular expressions of support for the American presence in Saudi Arabia in the aftermath of those attacks is troubling.