Dear Abu, This is No Way to Make Friends

The Office of Director of National Intelligence dropped a live one when it released—in English and Arabic—an intercepted high-level communication between two of the most wanted men on the planet: Osama Bin Laden’s deputy Ayman Al-Zawahiri and Jordanian terror mastermind Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi. The letter, dated July 9, 2005, outlines a strategic vision for the al Qaeda movement, as well as a profound disagreement within the leadership. Notably, Zawahiri takes issue with Zarqawi’s well-publicized penchant for beheading hostages on television and killing scores of innocent men women and children. The primary goal of al Qaeda is the expulsion of the “crusaders” (that would be the Americans) in Iraq, and then move on to the heathen Shi’ia Muslims, who are held in contemptuous regard by al Qaeda. Oh, and the missive takes note of the appeal of democracy. Read the letters on the DNI Web site here.