"Zawahiri says that they've lost many of their key leaders and
that they've virtually resigned themselves to defeat in
Afghanistan, that their lines of communication and funding
have been severely disrupted," Mr Whitman told reporters on
Thursday.
...In the missive, Zawahiri apparently warns tactics such as the
killing of hostages and bombings of mosques may alienate the
"Muslim masses," Mr Whitman said.
What an unusual letter. Unlike the videos we've seen from Bin Laden,
this doesn't look like something written by a CIA psy-ops team.
The guy sounds like a sincere jihad radical.
If I try to read between the lines, what I see is someone whose CIA
funding has been cut off and is now out of touch. He seems to believe
the Western media that 'Al Qaeda' is behind the Mosque bombings.
strange one,
rkm
--------------------------------------------------------
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4318478.stm
US 'intercepts al-Qaeda letter'
An intercepted letter from al-Qaeda's number two to its leader
in Iraq warns insurgents' tactics may alienate the wider
Muslim population, the US says.
The letter appeared to be from Osama bin Laden's deputy Ayman
al-Zawahiri to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, said Pentagon spokesman
Bryan Whitman.
He did not show the letter or say how or where it was
obtained, but said it was considered authentic and recent.
The missive warned that the network faced crises in many
areas, he said.
"Zawahiri says that they've lost many of their key leaders and
that they've virtually resigned themselves to defeat in
Afghanistan, that their lines of communication and funding
have been severely disrupted," Mr Whitman told reporters on
Thursday.
'Must include masses'
The letter, said to be written in Arabic, was made public
after the government learned of leaks to the media, US media
quote officials as saying.
In the missive, Zawahiri apparently warns tactics such as the
killing of hostages and bombings of mosques may alienate the
"Muslim masses," Mr Whitman said.
"In this letter, he talks about believing that the eventual
governance of Iraq must include the Muslim masses, and that
they are at risk of alienating those," he told reporters.
The letter was also said to detail the strategy of Muslim
extremists to create an Islamic state centred on Iraq that
could expand into neighbouring countries.
Zawahiri included a plea for financial support, Reuters news
agency quoted Mr Whitman as saying.
The New York Times quoted a senior official as saying that the
6,000-word letter was dated early in July, and was obtained by
US forces involved in counterterrorism operations in Iraq.
In January 2004, the US authorities said they had intercepted
a letter which confirmed that Zarqawi was working with
al-Qaeda to drive the US out of Iraq. The authenticity of the
letter was never confirmed beyond doubt.
Zarqawi's group has claimed responsibility for a series of
killings, hostage beheadings and major suicide bombings in
Iraq.
Zawahiri was number two - behind only Bin Laden - in the 22
Most Wanted Terrorists List announced by the US government in
2001. He has a $25m bounty on his head.
He was reportedly last seen in the eastern Afghan town of
Khost in October 2001, and went into hiding after the US-led
attack overthrew the Taleban.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/middle_east/4318478.stm
Published: 2005/10/07 11:22:57 GMT
© BBC MMV
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