The search of Zarqawi's safe house has hit pay dirt. Drudge links to the Iraqi National Security Advisor's English translation of a document that appears to be an outline of Zarqawi's strategy to undermine the coalition forces and, ulitmately, democracy in Iraq.
Update: General Caldwell said that although this document was found by Iraqis in Zarqawi's hideout, the same document was also found in prior to Zarqawi's death in another raid.
Additional thoughts: the value of this document is pretty clear. For one thing, Zarqawi wanted to spark a war between Iran and the US:
7. A war between the Americans and Iraq. We have noticed that the best of these wars to be ignited is the one between the Americans and Iran, because it will have many benefits in favor of the Sunni and the resistance, such as:
1. Freeing the Sunni people in Iraq, who are (30 percent) of the population and under the Shi'a Rule.2. Drowning the Americans in another war that will engage many of their forces.
3. The possibility of acquiring new weapons from the Iranian side, either after the fall of Iran or during the battles.
4. To entice Iran towards helping the resistance because of its need for its help.
5. Weakening the Shi'a supply line.
The question remains, how to draw the Americans into fighting a war against Iran? It is not known whether American is serious in its animosity towards Iraq, because of the big support Iran is offering to America in its war in Afghanistan and in Iraq. Hence, it is necessary first to exaggerate the Iranian danger and to convince America and the west in general, of the real danger coming from Iran, and this would be done by the following:
1. By disseminating threatening messages against American interests and the American people and attribute them to a Shi'a Iranian side.
2. By executing operations of kidnapping hostages and implicating the Shi'a Iranian side.
3. By advertising that Iran has chemical and nuclear weapons and is threatening the west with these weapons.
4. By executing exploding operations in the west and accusing Iran by planting Iranian Shi'a fingerprints and evidence.
5. By declaring the existence of a relationship between Iran and terrorist groups (as termed by the Americans).
6. By disseminating bogus messages about confessions showing that Iran is in possession of weapons of mass destruction or that there are attempts by the Iranian intelligence to undertake terrorist operations in America and the west and against western interests.
And Zarqawi recommends manipulating the media in order to get out positive stories about the "the resistance" as he calls it:
Based on the above points, it became necessary that these matters should be treated one by one:
1. To improve the image of the resistance in society, increase the number of supporters who are refusing occupation and show the clash of interest between society and the occupation and its collaborators. To use the media for spreading an effective and creative image of the resistance.
This is again consistent with the terrorists' MO.
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Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
Comments (17)
Kim, this is an excellent p... (Below threshold)1. Posted by Falcon05 | June 15, 2006 12:00 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Kim, this is an excellent post. I've already linked to it at Falcon's Crest and Hang Right Politics.
You do great work here. I always look forward to reading your posts and have made Wizbang! a daily stop before and after work.
1. Posted by Falcon05 | June 15, 2006 12:00 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on June 15, 2006 12:00
2. Posted by PJO, a twin with twins | June 15, 2006 12:47 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
I am a little concerned that there is something wrong with this document. It reminds me too much of the bilge I use to kick out for my MBA classes. Where the usual ramblings that start it off and end it? It's a little too succinct.
2. Posted by PJO, a twin with twins | June 15, 2006 12:47 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on June 15, 2006 12:47
3. Posted by Tony Zbaraschuk | June 15, 2006 12:48 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
The part I find interesting is the one where Zarquawi thinks that Iran is providing major help to the US in Iraq and Afghanistan. More paranoia on his part, or something more significant?
3. Posted by Tony Zbaraschuk | June 15, 2006 12:48 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on June 15, 2006 12:48
4. Posted by McCain | June 15, 2006 1:04 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
This complicated our need to take a tough line with Iran.
4. Posted by McCain | June 15, 2006 1:04 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on June 15, 2006 13:04
5. Posted by ted | June 15, 2006 1:28 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Another dark dark day for the Democrats (and theit MSM allies).
Democrats must be going from depression to despair.
5. Posted by ted | June 15, 2006 1:28 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on June 15, 2006 13:28
6. Posted by L. | June 15, 2006 1:55 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
This shows just how little Zarqawi understands about the war he was fighting. By this document it is clear he believed, like most Leftists do, that America's military learned nothing from Vietnam.
The elite may not have learned anything from Vietnam, but the military sure did.
How long, exactly, did he anticipate it would take for the US to dismantle Iran? Years? Weeks is nore like it. And he thought that a kidnapping here or there would derail the whole effort?
Puhleez. What a small mind.
6. Posted by L. | June 15, 2006 1:55 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on June 15, 2006 13:55
7. Posted by ted | June 15, 2006 2:00 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
L., at least give Zarqawi some benefit of the doubt for his mis-beliefs. After all, if he had been watching CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, MSNBC, etc., he would have thought he was on the right track!
7. Posted by ted | June 15, 2006 2:00 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on June 15, 2006 14:00
8. Posted by ted | June 15, 2006 2:04 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Which got me thinking, perhaps all the misinformation on the MSM has been incorporated as part of the Bush admin strategy on the GWOT and Iraq front.
8. Posted by ted | June 15, 2006 2:04 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on June 15, 2006 14:04
9. Posted by Jeff | June 15, 2006 2:44 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
You missed footnote 5a(c):
Find a way to let Karl Rove off the hook,
9. Posted by Jeff | June 15, 2006 2:44 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on June 15, 2006 14:44
10. Posted by jp2 | June 15, 2006 3:14 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
"There was no way to independently confirm the authenticity of the information attributed to al-Qaida."
From the AP.
10. Posted by jp2 | June 15, 2006 3:14 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on June 15, 2006 15:14
11. Posted by JannyMae | June 15, 2006 3:22 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
"La-la-la-la-la! I can't hear you!"
"These aren't the documents you're looking for...move along."
What will it take to get the Bush-haters to face reality?
"There was no way to independently confirm the authenticity of the information attributed to al-Qaida."
From the AP.
Posted by: jp2
So, that invalidates them, right jp? Because the AP issues a CYA, "qualifier?" Only in moonbat-land, is that interpretation valid.
Is that anything like, "The investigation isn't over. Karl Rove will still be indicted?!"
11. Posted by JannyMae | June 15, 2006 3:22 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on June 15, 2006 15:22
12. Posted by Justrand | June 15, 2006 3:24 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
it's downright EERIE how much the "terrorist's MO" sounds like the Democrat Party MO.
Eerie!
12. Posted by Justrand | June 15, 2006 3:24 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on June 15, 2006 15:24
13. Posted by jp2 | June 15, 2006 4:13 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Has nothing to do with Rove, and everything about Kim's history of writing misleading or factually incorrect stories. I know you would like to look for a larger issue here, but it's really not complicated.
13. Posted by jp2 | June 15, 2006 4:13 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on June 15, 2006 16:13
14. Posted by Big Mo | June 15, 2006 4:15 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Tell you what, JP2 - how about you and the AP hack hook up with the Egyptian nut now running AQ in Iraq and see if you can't independently confirm those documents, 'kay?
14. Posted by Big Mo | June 15, 2006 4:15 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on June 15, 2006 16:15
15. Posted by Eric | June 15, 2006 4:42 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
When asked how he could be sure the information was authentic, al-Rubaie said "there is nothing more authentic than finding a thumbdrive in his pocket."
15. Posted by Eric | June 15, 2006 4:42 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on June 15, 2006 16:42
16. Posted by JLawson | June 15, 2006 9:11 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Well, that's about as authentic as you could reasonably ask for, unless he had it on an SD chip that they found in his stomach during the autopsy..
J.
16. Posted by JLawson | June 15, 2006 9:11 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on June 15, 2006 21:11
17. Posted by MikeSC | June 16, 2006 3:33 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
I'll say that Michael LeDeen of NRO questions the document's legitimacy.
-=Mike
17. Posted by MikeSC | June 16, 2006 3:33 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on June 16, 2006 15:33