As War Over Leak Grips Washington, Al Qaeda Quals (1 Viewer)

[Trajan Octavian Titus]

As War Over Leak Grips Washington, Al Qaeda Quails

By ELI LAKE - Staff Reporter of the Sun
September 27, 2006

WASHINGTON — On a day when much of the capital's attention was focused on leaked excerpts of an intelligence estimate report that suggested the Iraq war was creating more jihadists, the military quietly released an intercepted letter from Al Qaeda complaining that the terrorist organization was losing ground in Iraq.

The letter, found in the headquarters of Al Qaeda's leader in Iraq, Abu-Musab al-Zarqawi, after he was killed on June 7, was sent to Zarqawi by a senior Al Qaeda leader who signs his name simply "Atiyah." He complains that Al Qaeda is weak both in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region and in Iraq.

A former jihadist who fought in Algeria in the 1990s, Atiyah appears from the text to be speaking for Al Qaeda's Shura Council — the group's decision-making panel chaired by Osama bin Laden. In the letter, he sharply criticizes Zarqawi's leadership, saying he alienated key allies necessary for the implementation of jihad in Iraq.

"Know that we, like all the Mujahidin, are still weak," he wrote in the letter dated December 11, 2005. "We are in the stage of weakness and a state of paucity. We have not yet reached a level of stability. We have no alternative but to not squander any element of the foundations of strength, or any helper or supporter."

http://www.nysun.com/article/40461

So contrary to the NIE point that the Dems are eagerly grasping onto according to AQ themselves we're kicking their as$!

 

[ProudAmerican]

excellent news.

again I state that the only logical reason anyone could NOT WANT US TO CONTINUE IN IRAQ is partisan politics.

we can win this war.

when AMericans come together for a common cause, there is nothing, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING that can stop us.

but we must first be willing to put partisan politics aside.

 

[Trajan Octavian Titus]

excellent news.

again I state that the only logical reason anyone could NOT WANT US TO CONTINUE IN IRAQ is partisan politics.

we can win this war.

when AMericans come together for a common cause, there is nothing, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING that can stop us.

but we must first be willing to put partisan politics aside.

Even when you read the NIE in context and not just the one line of one paragraph that was leaked to the NYT's for partisan political reasons; it's clear that it's a reaffirmation of the president's stay the course policy and a complete repudiation of the Democrats cut and run strategy.

 

[ProudAmerican]

isnt it funny how threads like this one fade into oblivion, but threads like


http://www.debatepolitics.com/break...es-say-iraq-war-worsens-terrorism-threat.html

have tons or participation?

and I thought all the democrats supported the troops!!!!

where are all the troop supporters in here? this is GREAT NEWS for our troops. some on guys, lets talk about the positive for a change.

 

[AndrewC]

isnt it funny how threads like this one fade into oblivion, but threads like


http://www.debatepolitics.com/break...es-say-iraq-war-worsens-terrorism-threat.html

have tons or participation?

and I thought all the democrats supported the troops!!!!

where are all the troop supporters in here? this is GREAT NEWS for our troops. some on guys, lets talk about the positive for a change.

Perhaps it is because this is old news. They released information like this both before and immediately after he was killed. I did a search and found letters almost identical to this one released by the government. Such as.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,155383,00.html

I have no doubt that AQ in Iraq has been weakened (seemingly almost to the point of irrelevance). This is definitely good news. The problem is that it does not end with them. New threats emerge everyday. In fact Iraq seems to be threatened more by domestic trouble than foreign terrorism at the moment. All the while the conflict itself drives anger and extremism in the region.

That is most likely why nobody is working this thread.

Also, if you are wondering, I don't support the War on Terror as it is being done. I didn't and don't support the war in Iraq. However I don't think we should leave Iraq yet. Not until the Iraqi government asks us to or the US military says it can no longer do any good in Iraq or peace and prosperity prevail.

 

[Trajan Octavian Titus]

Perhaps it is because this is old news. They released information like this both before and immediately after he was killed. I did a search and found letters almost identical to this one released by the government. Such as.

No this is a new letter that CENTCOM just released here's a full translation this one isn't by Zarqawi it's by a guy named Atiyah:


http://www.centcom.mil/sites/uscentcom1/What%20Extremists%20Say/Letter%20Exposes%20New%20Leader%20in%20Al-Qa`ida%20High%20Command.aspx?PageView=Shared

 

[AndrewC]

No this is a new letter that CENTCOM just released here's a full translation this one isn't by Zarqawi it's by a guy named Atiyah:


http://www.centcom.mil/sites/uscentcom1/What%20Extremists%20Say/Letter%20Exposes%20New%20Leader%20in%20Al-Qa`ida%20High%20Command.aspx?PageView=Shared

"Know that we, like all the Mujahidin, are still weak," he wrote in the letter dated December 11, 2005.

Like I said old news. They were releasing letters essentially saying the same thing both before and after he was killed. The fact that this Dec. 2005 letter is just being released does not matter. It is dated.

I'm not arguing that AQ in Iraq is in good shape. I mean, didn't they capture one of their leaders just the other day? I'm saying that AQ in Iraq, OBL and others aren't the driving force they are made out to be. That doesn't mean I don't think they need to be brought to justice either. It just means that the debate over the NIE is larger than this old news. This letter has little bearing on the current state of WOT or Iraq. Something your op seemed to suggest.

 

[Trajan Octavian Titus]

"Know that we, like all the Mujahidin, are still weak," he wrote in the letter dated December 11, 2005.

Like I said old news. They were releasing letters essentially saying the same thing both before and after he was killed. The fact that this Dec. 2005 letter is just being released does not matter. It is dated.

I'm not arguing that AQ in Iraq is in good shape. I mean, didn't they capture one of their leaders just the other day? I'm saying that AQ in Iraq, OBL and others aren't the driving force they are made out to be. That doesn't mean I don't think they need to be brought to justice either. It just means that the debate over the NIE is larger than this old news. This letter has little bearing on the current state of WOT or Iraq. Something your op seemed to suggest.

Oh I know the argument is bigger than that I've been arguing the NIE since it was released on the DNI website early tuesday evening go here:

http://www.debatepolitics.com/breaking-news/13873-declassified-key-judgements-nie.html