Letter to Al-Qaeda seeks help in tearing Iraq apart
US forces seize the letter by an operative, which lends credence to claims about Saddam's terror links
US forces seize the letter by an operative, which lends credence to claims about Saddam's terror links
BAGHDAD - US forces have intercepted a letter believed to have been written by a terrorist operative seeking Al-Qaeda's help in inciting violence between Shi'ite and Sunni Muslims in Iraq, the US military confirmed on Monday.
The letter, believed to have been written in Iraq, outlines a plan for 'provoking ethnic sectarian warfare...in the hope of tearing this country apart', said Mr Dan Senor, a spokesman for the Coalition Provisional Authority.
The discovery of the 17-page letter was first reported by the New York Times.
'We believe the report and document are credible. We take the report seriously,' said Brigadier-General Mark Kimmitt, a US military spokesman. He said the letter would be made public later.
The letter, military officials believe, was written by Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi, a Jordanian suspected of having ties to Al-Qaeda. Reports indicated that the letter was intended for senior leaders of Osama bin Laden's terrorist network.
'We are persuaded that Al-Zarqawi was the author of the letter. It is our understanding that this letter was being taken out of the country for delivery abroad,' Brig-Gen Kimmitt said.
Mr Senor said the document detailed 'a strategy of provoking violence, targeted at Shi'ite leaders, that would result in reprisals against other ethnic groups within the country'.
The US authorities blame Al-Qaeda, loyalists of deposed Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and other groups for the ongoing attacks on American troops.
On Monday, two US soldiers were killed and five wounded in an explosion as they disposed of weaponry in Sinjar, about 120km west of the northern city of Mosul.
The blast brought the US death toll in Iraq to more than 530 since the March invasion, according to an AP tally.
A previously published report indicated that the letter from Al-Zarqawi, which was on a computer disk, expressed concern that religious extremists were failing to attract support in Iraq.
The document requested help in directing attacks against Iraq's Shi'ite majority in an effort to trigger counter-attacks against Sunni Muslims, sparking a 'sectarian war' that would draw Iraqi Sunnis closer to the extremists.
'In many ways, this guy is disappointed at his lack of success,' Brig-Gen Kimmitt said.
'It is almost a sign of desperation.'
US Secretary of State Colin Powell said the letter gave 'some credence' to US pre-war claims about Saddam's links with the group. But he added: 'We're still looking for those connections and to prove those connections.'
The memo, he continued, was 'very revealing' because it showed Al-Qaeda's 'weaknesses that they have in their efforts to undercut the coalition's effort'.
'But at the same time, it shows they haven't given up,' he said.
Middle East experts said the letter's contents were not surprising.
'Removing Saddam Hussein created a power vacuum that Al-Qaeda feels it can use to enter Iraq,' said Mr Charles Pena, director of defence policy studies for the Washington, DC-based Cato Institute. -- Los Angeles Times, AFP
straitstimes.asia1.com.sg
Alleged letter-writer Al-Zarqawi plans to incite violence between Shi'ite and Sunni Muslims. -- AP |
