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NBC News has obtained a copy of a message from the al-Qaida terrorist network to Muslims in Iraq, a message that is, in effect, a military playbook on how to defeat Americans.
THE MESSAGE obtained by NBC News is in Arabic, and is addressed to “our brothers in Iraq.” It is written by Saif Al-Adel, the security chief for Osama Bin Laden, said to be the mastermind for the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on New York City, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania. Al-Adel is believed to be the third highest al-Qaida official alive and on the run.
Ben Venzke, who runs the terrorism intelligence group IntelCenter, told NBC that the message, posted on the al-Qaida site in the last couple of weeks, reveals how al-Qaida uses the Internet to spread its holy war. IntelCenter has been tracking al-Qaida postings and discovered the message earlier this month.
“The significance of these documents demonstrates a clear intent by al-Qaida to share knowledge, to help assist and train Arabs fighting in Iraq against Americans,” Venzke said.
One particularly chilling image includes a broken American flag, rubble, and an airplane.
In what amounts to a military playbook, Al-Adel lays out lessons learned fighting Americans in Afghanistan, and claims “victory over the U.S. [in Iraq] is very possible ... easy beyond the imagination” and depends on “depleting, exhausting and terrorizing the enemy.”
He advises Iraqi Muslims to fight in small groups trained in “reconnaissance, traps and raiding operations,” and to mount rocket launchers on pickup trucks.
But he reveals that in Afghanistan, al-Qaida’s secret weapon was not the ever present pickup truck, but a Toyota Corolla — a passenger car — filled with bombs and shoulder-fired missiles.
“The enemy did not notice we were using them, and most were not directly targeted,” Al-Adel claims.
Rick Francona, a retired military intelligence officer and NBC analyst who speaks Arabic, said the writings reflect a keen understanding of American use of psychological warfare and air power, and a lack of respect for American ground troops. “These documents appear to be authentic,” Francona said.
“They believe that if they can survive the air assault they can trap the Americans into a bloody battle and make them lose their will so they’ll quit,” he said.
Late Monday senior U.S. officials also said the document is legitimate and consistent with other writings by Al-Adel. Nowhere does it mention Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, or suggest any alliance between Saddam and bin Laden.
Lisa Myers is NBC News’ chief investigative correspondent.
THE MESSAGE obtained by NBC News is in Arabic, and is addressed to “our brothers in Iraq.” It is written by Saif Al-Adel, the security chief for Osama Bin Laden, said to be the mastermind for the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on New York City, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania. Al-Adel is believed to be the third highest al-Qaida official alive and on the run.
Ben Venzke, who runs the terrorism intelligence group IntelCenter, told NBC that the message, posted on the al-Qaida site in the last couple of weeks, reveals how al-Qaida uses the Internet to spread its holy war. IntelCenter has been tracking al-Qaida postings and discovered the message earlier this month.
“The significance of these documents demonstrates a clear intent by al-Qaida to share knowledge, to help assist and train Arabs fighting in Iraq against Americans,” Venzke said.
One particularly chilling image includes a broken American flag, rubble, and an airplane.
In what amounts to a military playbook, Al-Adel lays out lessons learned fighting Americans in Afghanistan, and claims “victory over the U.S. [in Iraq] is very possible ... easy beyond the imagination” and depends on “depleting, exhausting and terrorizing the enemy.”
He advises Iraqi Muslims to fight in small groups trained in “reconnaissance, traps and raiding operations,” and to mount rocket launchers on pickup trucks.
But he reveals that in Afghanistan, al-Qaida’s secret weapon was not the ever present pickup truck, but a Toyota Corolla — a passenger car — filled with bombs and shoulder-fired missiles.
“The enemy did not notice we were using them, and most were not directly targeted,” Al-Adel claims.
Rick Francona, a retired military intelligence officer and NBC analyst who speaks Arabic, said the writings reflect a keen understanding of American use of psychological warfare and air power, and a lack of respect for American ground troops. “These documents appear to be authentic,” Francona said.
“They believe that if they can survive the air assault they can trap the Americans into a bloody battle and make them lose their will so they’ll quit,” he said.
Late Monday senior U.S. officials also said the document is legitimate and consistent with other writings by Al-Adel. Nowhere does it mention Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, or suggest any alliance between Saddam and bin Laden.
Lisa Myers is NBC News’ chief investigative correspondent.
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