Dear Brother Abu Musab. . .

The office of the US Director of National Intelligence (Ambassador John Negroponte) today released the full text of a 6,000 word letter from Al Queda #2 Ayman al-Zawahiri to the leader of Al Queda in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. The letter was reportedly dated 09 July 2005 and was captured recently in Iraq. It is worth careful study.

Here are the points the DNI chose to highlight:

• The centrality of the war in Iraq for the global jihad.
  
  
• From al Qa'ida's point of view, the war does not end with an American departure.
  
  
• An acknowledgment of the appeal of democracy to the Iraqis.
  
  
• The strategic vision of inevitable conflict, with a tacit recognition of current political dynamics in Iraq; with a call by al-Zawahiri for political action equal to military action.
  
  
• The need to maintain popular support at least until jihadist rule has been established.
  
  
• Admission that more than half the struggle is taking place "in the battlefield of the media."

Personally, I was struck by the criticism of Zarqawi (diplomatically phrased, of course) for alienating Muslim opinion by targeting the Shia population and releasing gory videos of beheaded hostages. In addition, al-Zawahiri's descriptions of life in Pakistan seemed to be pretty difficult, with many reports of "brothers" captured or killed, taped communiques that failed to reach their audiences, lost computers, disrupted lines of communication and financial difficulties. (He appeared to be appealing to Zarqawi to send a payment of "approximately one hundred thousand" [$'s ?] if he were capable of doing so.)

Be sure to read it.