Terrorist Pen Pals

Zawahiri, al-Qaeda’s number two world terrorist, has penned an epistle to his pal Zarqawi, al-Qaeda’s number one terrorist in Iraq.

There is much concern here about maintaining the popular support that will be needed to fill the void after the U.S. exits Iraq. Televised beheadings won’t win support. Killing Shia won’t win support. The Shia must be appeased and civil war avoided. Iran must not be antagonized. Half the battlefield is in the media.

The basic message is: when the Americans run, move in for the take-over. Maintain popular support for the take-over. In the meantime, send money.

Highlights of the letter:

Zawahiri is facing “difficulty and hardships”.

“danger comes from the agent Pakistani army that is carrying out operations in the tribal areas looking for mujahedeen.”

“our intended goal in this age is the establishment of a caliphate”

Stages to attain goal:
1. “Expel the Americans from Iraq.”
2. “Establish an Islamic authority or amirate”
3. “Extend the jihad wave to the secular countries neighboring Iraq.”
4. “the clash with Israel”

Establishment of the caliphate through jihad requires popular support.

“The Americans will exit soon”

“Things may develop faster than we imagine. The aftermath of the collapse of American power in Vietnam-and how they ran and left their agents-is noteworthy. Because of that, we must be ready starting now, before events overtake us, and before we are surprised by the conspiracies of the Americans and the United Nations and their plans to fill the void behind them.”

“it's imperative that…there be an appeasement of [Shia] Muslims and a sharing with them in governance”

“We don't want to repeat the mistake of the Taliban, who restricted participation in governance to the students and the people of Qandahar alone.”

Attacks on Shia mosques “won't be acceptable to the Muslim populace”

Zawahiri questions the wisdom of inciting civil war with Shia: “is the opening of another front now in addition to the front against the Americans and the government a wise decision?”

“And do the brothers forget that we have more than one hundred prisoners - many of whom are from the leadership who are wanted in their countries - in the custody of the Iranians? And even if we attack the Shia out of necessity, then why do you announce this matter and make it public, which compels the Iranians to take counter measures? And do the brothers forget that both we and the Iranians need to refrain from harming each other at this time in which the Americans are targeting us?”

Scenes of Slaughter:
“Among the things which the feelings of the Muslim populace who love and support you will never find palatable - also- are the scenes of slaughtering the hostages.”

“we are in a battle, and that more than half of this battle is taking place in the battlefield of the media. And that we are in a media battle in a race for the hearts and minds of our Umma.”

“And we can kill the captives by bullet. That would achieve that which is sought after without exposing ourselves to the questions and answering to doubts. We don't need this.”

“I have a definite desire to travel to you but I do not know whether that is possible”

“many of the lines have been cut off. Because of this, we need a payment while new lines are being opened. So, if you're capable of sending a payment of approximately one hundred thousand, we'll be very grateful to you.”

“American Intelligence” acquired Zawahiri’s computer, and published some of the contents.
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Popular support for a democratic Iraq terrorizes the terrorists. It’s what they fear most as Iraq moves toward a constitutional referendum.

The battlefield is also in the liberal, American media. The agenda is to hasten an early, pre-mature U.S. exit from Iraq. Zawahiri is preparing.
--LynZee