'Low morale' in Zarqawi camp

2005-05-03 15:12

Baghdad - United States-led forces have recovered a letter they believe was addressed to Jordanian-born militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi complaining about low morale among his followers and the incompetence of leaders in his terror network, the military said on Tuesday. The authenticity of the letter could not be independently verified.

The letter was seized during an April 28 raid in Baghdad, which also yielded an undated document listing targeting information and sketch maps for kidnappings and bombings, the military said in a statement.

The military said it was written by Abu Asim al-Qusaymi al-Yemeni, whom they identified as a member of al-Qaeda in the Land Between the Two Rivers, one of the former names used by al-Zarqawi's al-Qaeda in Iraq terror group.

The letter, dated April 27, is addressed to "the sheik," a title used by al-Zarqawi's followers to refer to their leader, the military said.

The letter advocates jihad and praises "the sheik" for being "a thorn in the mouth of the Americans," the military said. But it also speaks of low morale, weakening support for the insurgency, and the incompetence of many militant leaders, the statement said. The author also reportedly admonishes the "the sheik" for abandoning his followers since Fallujah - an insurgent stronghold that was the subject of a major United States-led assault in November.

Five suspected insurgents were killed and three captured during the April raid, the military said. The statement identified one of those killed as Abu Rayyan, the Saudi leader of a Baghdad-based car bombing cell.

Besides the documents, soldiers recovered weapons, ammunition and fake identification cards from the suspects, it said.

- AP