The Office of the Director of National Intelligence released a letter between two senior al-Qaeda leaders, Ayman al-Zawahiri and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, dated July 9, 2005.
The letter is available here in both English and Arabic. The Washington Post has an article on the letter here.
And one informed observer sends this brief analysis:
Today the United States Government released a 6,000 word letter from al-Qaida’s number two leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, to the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. The letter was obtained in the course of counterterrorism operations in Iraq.
It is an extraordinary document. The Zawahiri letter provides a candid, chilling, and comprehensive view of al-Qaida's strategy in Iraq and their global aims. It also puts to rest any question about whether Iraq is a central front in the war on terrorism; the scope and scale of al-Qaida's ambitions; the extremist and malignant ideology that guides Islamic radicalism; and the stakes of this struggle.
The letter clearly states al-Qaida’s long-term strategy: (a) expel the United States and its Coalition allies from Iraq; (b) impose a radical Islamic government; and (c) use the territory as a base to expand its reign and attack Iraq’s neighbors and beyond.
At the same time, the letter reflects Zawahiri’s concern that developments in Iraq are turning against al-Qaida. For example, the letter details Zawahiri’s concerns that Zarqawi’s violence is undermining public support for al-Qaida in Iraq.
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