Posted on 02/10/2004 11:09:10 AM PST by Calpernia
A 17-page letter seized in the capture of an al Qaeda courier last month reveals an enemy "terrified" that Iraq is on the road to freedom and self-government, a coalition military official said at a Baghdad news conference today.
Analysts have concluded the letter was written by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi -- a suspect in numerous terrorist bombings in Iraq and long believed to have al Qaeda ties – and was intended for the terror organization's top leadership, perhaps even for Osama bin Laden himself. The letter, coalition officials have said, seeks al Qaeda's help in instigating ethnic violence to derail progress toward a free and stable Iraq.
Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt, deputy operations director for Combined Joint Task Force 7, said the letter is evidence that Zarqawi's biggest fear is that the coalition's strategy in Iraq is working. Kimmitt and Dan Senor, the coalition's senior spokesman, first commented on the letter at a Feb. 9 Baghdad briefing.
"He is terrified of the coalition's will," Kimmitt said today. "He's terrified of the coalition's military capabilities. He is terrified of the fact that we are building (an) Iraqi security structure that prevents him from establishing a base inside this country. And he is terrified of a country that, rather than bowing to terrorism, is moving toward democracy."
The general said the letter confirms the coalition's current strategy is the correct one. "And as we continue to work – the coalition and the people of Iraq together – to hunting down Zarqawi and those of his ilk, that is the best strategy we have to ensure that we limit his capability to operate inside Iraq."
Senor said today the letter makes it clear Zarqawi is frustrated by the increasing difficulty he's having in trying to hide in Iraq. The country's geography, combined with an ever-dwindling number of Iraqis willing to help or harbor terrorists, are working against Zarqawi, Senor said.
Coalition administrator Ambassador L. Paul Bremer III is sharing the letter with key Iraqi leaders, Senor said, to generate some publicity to aid in intelligence gathering, and so Iraqi leaders will recognize efforts at creating ethnic strife for what they are, so they can protect against the ethnic warfare that is Zarqawi's aim.
"So if there is an attack against Shiia leadership, or there is an attack against a Shiia holy site, the various ethnic leaders won't be easily drawn into reprisals, because that's exactly what Zarqawi and al Qaeda are trying to provoke in this country," Senor said. "They're trying to tear this country apart with ethnic bloodshed."
Another reason for sharing the letter with Iraqi leaders, Senor said, is to emphasize what it means about the combined efforts of the coalition and the Iraqi people.
"It's important when we say the strategy of building up the Iraqi security services is working," he said. "It's important when the Iraqi Governing Council leaders say that the building up of Iraqi security forces is working.
"But nothing is more important," he emphasized, "than when the enemies of Iraq say that the building up of Iraqi security services is working."
Senor noted that more than 150,000 Iraqis work in security services and are protecting their country – more than the number of Americans in Iraq. He said it's important for Iraqis to see that the efforts of the coalition and the Iraqi people are working.
Senor said the letter will be released in full in the near future. "We intend for every Iraqi to take a close look at it to see what the foreign terrorists who are coming to this country have planned for Iraq," he said, "and how we can protect against it together."
A 17-page letter seized in the capture of an al Qaeda courier last month reveals an enemy "terrified" that Iraq is on the road to freedom and self-government, a coalition military official said at a Baghdad news conference today.
Private Mail to be added to or removed from the GNFI (or Pro-Coalition) ping list.
Same could be said for the democrats and their fellow travelers in the media.
Once the full text of the letter is published, it would be hilarious to change a few words to make it sound as if it was written by Terry McAuliffe about the DNC. Probably wouldn't take that much re-work...
"He is terrified of the coalition's will," Kimmitt said today. "He's terrified of the coalition's military capabilities. He is terrified of the fact that we are building (an) Iraqi security structure that prevents him from establishing a base inside this country. And he is terrified of a country that, rather than bowing to terrorism, is moving toward democracy."
"He is terrified of the coalition's will," Kimmitt said today. "He's terrified of the coalition's military capabilities. He is terrified of the fact that we are building (an) Iraqi security structure that prevents him from establishing a base inside this country. And he is terrified of a country that, rather than bowing to terrorism, is moving toward democracy."
Coalition Provisional Authority Briefing from Iraq Monday, February 9, 2004
Q: Kevin Flower with CNN. So back to this letter. Do you think that it is -- is it your belief that Zarqawi is the author of this letter? And who is the letter to? Was it written to al Qaeda operatives outside the country? And finally, can we see the letter? Can we -- can you make portions of it available to us?
Kimmitt: Yeah, we are persuaded that Zarqawi was the author of this letter. It is our understanding that this letter was being taken by a courier outside this country for delivery abroad. And it is our intent and our -- certainly our hope that -- in the near future that this letter can be declassified.
Let me just give you sort of a picture of the 17 pages of it on the screen here, not very -- it's not very clear to you. But we are hoping in the near future to be able to release this, because this document does in fact demonstrate what we have been assessing all along, and the impact of this letter on our operations and as we take operations forward is very, very dramatic.
And he's praying 5 times a day to Allah that John Kerry wins in November.
Prairie
Operative Sought al-Qaida's Help in Iraq
This thread has links to most everything!
..."(Democrats) are terrified of the coalition's will," Kimmitt said today. "(Democrats) are terrified of the coalition's military capabilities. (Democrats) are terrified of the fact that we are building (an) Iraqi security structure that prevents (them) from establishing a base inside this country. And (Democrats) are terrified of a country that, rather than bowing to terrorism, is moving toward democracy."...
There. That about clears it up!
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