Gingrich at State Fair, signing books

Former U-S House Speaker Newt Gingrich is at the State Fair today (Saturday), autographing his book, “Winning the Future.” Gingrich says America’s future requires “real change” and the nation’s intelligence networks are in need of an overhaul, according to Gingrich. “People need to take this really seriously. Think about the London (subway) bombings,” Gingrich says. “We didn’t know they were coming. Four years after 9/11, our intelligence systems have no effective penetration of the enemy.” Gingrich says this failure is quite apparent in Iraq, where roadside bombs continue to maim and kill U-S soldiers. “Think about it,” Gingrich says. “Somebody is manufacturing a bomb, moving it across Iraq, digging a hole and putting the bomb in — and we’re not detecting any of that?” A recent report indicates military intelligence knew of the whereabouts of five of the 9/11 bombers and were worried by their activities, but didn’t tell other intelligence officials. Gingrich says it should be seen as a “major scandal.” He says there’s every reason to believe that five of the 9/11 bombers, including the ringleader, could have been picked up in 1999 if the military intelligence had made a different decision. Gingrich, who hints he’s thinking about running for president in 2008, says U-S borders and coasts must be secured because we’re at war. “If you want to have real national security, you’re going to have real control of the border and real control of the coasts, and that’s going to cost money and it’s going to require a much bigger border control,” Gingrich says. “If we get hit by a nuclear or biological weapon, this country will never quite be the same.” Gingrich says the U-S is now engaged in a war against a religious ideology that will last up to 75 years. “We are in a long war against the irreconcilable wing of Islam,” Gingrich says. “I don’t think we’ve yet come to grips with how serious, how deep and how long this is going to be.” Gingrich, who is 62 years old, was a Georgia Congressman for 20 years and he led the G-O-P campaign that helped Republicans gain control of Congress in 1992. He’ll be at the Fair from 11 this morning until three this afternoon.