'Half the battle is in the media'

This is an extract from a July 9 letter from al-Qa'ida deputy leader
Ayman al-Zawahiri to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, obtained by US forces in
Iraq

October 14, 2005

DEAR brother, We received your last published message sent to Sheikh
Usama Bin Ladin. The summer started hot with operations escalating in
Afghanistan. The real danger comes from the agent Pakistani army that
is carrying out operations in the tribal areas looking for mujahedeen.

It has always been my belief that the victory of Islam will never take
place until a Muslim state is established in the manner of the Prophet
in the heart of the Islamic world.

It is my humble opinion that the Jihad in Iraq requires several goals.
Expel the Americans from Iraq. Establish an Islamic authority or
amirate, then develop it and support it until it achieves the level 
of a caliphate. Extend the jihad wave to the secular countries
neighbouring Iraq. The fourth stage: the clash with Israel, because
Israel was established only to challenge any new Islamic entity.

The strongest weapon which the mujahedeen enjoy - after the help and
granting of success by God - is popular support from the Muslim
masses. The victory of Islam will not be accomplished by the mujahed
movement while it is cut off from public support.

Our planning must strive to involve the Muslim masses in the battle.
The movement must avoid any action the masses do not understand or
approve. We must not throw the masses - scant in knowledge - into the
sea before we teach them to swim. 

The Americans will exit soon, God willing, and the establishment of 
a governing authority - as soon as the country is freed from the
Americans - does not depend on force alone. Indeed, it is imperative
that in addition to force, there be an appeasement of Muslims and 
a sharing with them in governance. It does not appear that the
mujahedeen, much less the al-Qa'ida in the Land of Two Rivers, 
will lay claim to governance without the Iraqi people.

Things may develop faster than we imagine. The aftermath of the
collapse of American power in Vietnam - and how they ran and left
their agents - is noteworthy.

We don't want to repeat the mistake of the Taliban, who restricted
participation in governance to the students and the people of Kandahar
alone. They did not have any representation for the Afghan people in
their ruling regime, so the result was that the Afghan people
disengaged themselves from them. When the invasion came, the amirate
collapsed in days, because the people were either passive or hostile.
You must become a consensus, entity, organisation or association that
represents all the honourable people and the loyal folks in Iraq. I
repeat the warning against separating from the masses, whatever the
danger.

[...]

Despite all of this, I say to you: we are in a battle, and that more
than half of this battle is taking place in the battlefield of the
media. And that we are in a media battle in a race for hearts and
minds. And that however far our capabilities reach, they will never 
be equal to one thousandth of the capabilities of the kingdom of Satan
that is waging war on us. And we can kill the captives by bullet. That
would achieve that which is sought after without exposing ourselves to
the questions and answering to doubts. We don't need this.

Your loving brother,
Abu Muhammad 

Full article at "The Australian"
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/
0,5744,16911212%255E2703,00.html


Ephesians 6:12
For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the
principalities, against the powers, against the world's rulers of the
darkness of this age, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness
in the heavenly places.  (WEB)


Cheers, Steve..

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