Text Of Bin Laden Letter

Riehl World View blogged There's a problem with the link in most of the news stories on this breaking item. I figured out the glitch and managed to copy the contents of the letter below the fold. A 6,000 word letter from Osama bin Laden's second-in-command to al-Qaida's leader in Iraq outlines the terrorist group's strategy to oust American troops from Iraq, create a militant Islamic state there, use that as a base to overthrow the governments of other Muslim nations and finally destroy Israel:

.... However, the real danger comes from the agent Pakistani army that is carrying out operations in the tribal areas looking for mujahedeen.

In other words Bush's reaching out for help from the Pakistani's is really hurting them.

.... 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, specifically in the Levant, Egypt, and the neighboring states of the Peninsula and Iraq; however, the center would be in the Levant and Egypt.

And since it looks like Iraq will approve its constitution, and become Democratic, so he is saying that the victory of Islam will never take place.

This is my opinion, which I do not preach as infallibile, but I have reviewed historical events and the behavior of the enemies of Islam themselves, and they did not establish Israel in this triangle surrounded by Egypt and Syria and overlooking the Hijaz except for their own interests.

Perhaps he forgot that God had promised that land to his chosen people, the Jews.

.... God also blessed you not only with the splendor of the spearhead of Jihad, but with the splendor as well of the doctrines of monotheism, the rejection of polytheism, and avoidance of the tenets of the secularists and detractors and inferiors,

You forget, both Christianity and Judiasm also aspire to the doctrines of monotheism, the rejection of polytheism, and avoidance of the tenets of the secularists

If our intended goal in this age is the establishment of a caliphate in the manner of the Prophet and if we expect to establish its state predominantly-according to how it appears to us-in the heart of the Islamic world, then your efforts and sacrifices-God permitting-are a large step directly towards that goal.

And Iraq will become a democracy and not a caliphate, and democracy will spread, rather than the caliphate.

So we must think for a long time about our next steps and how we want to attain it, and it is my humble opinion that the Jihad in Iraq requires several incremental goals:

The first stage: Expel the Americans from Iraq.

They will leave when the Democratic State of Iraq feels it can defend itself without their help, and asks them to leave.

The second stage: Establish an Islamic authority or amirate, then develop it and support it until it achieves the level of a caliphate- over as much territory as you can to spread its power in Iraq, i.e., in Sunni areas, is in order to fill the void stemming from the departure of the Americans, immediately upon their exit and before un-Islamic forces attempt to fill this void, whether those whom the Americans will leave behind them, or those among the un-Islamic forces who will try to jump at taking power.

I believe you will find that the idea of democracy will have much more appeal than the idea of being controlled by a bunch of Imams, and it is Democracy that will spread.

There is no doubt that this amirate will enter into a fierce struggle with the foreign infidel forces, and those supporting them among the local forces, to put it in a state of constant preoccupation with defending itself, to make it impossible for it to establish a stable state which could proclaim a caliphate, and to keep the Jihadist groups in a constant state of war, until these forces find a chance to annihilate them.

The third stage: Extend the jihad wave to the secular countries neighboring Iraq.

The appeal of Democracy will surpass the appeal of jihad.

The fourth stage: It may coincide with what came before: the clash with Israel, because Israel was established only to challenge any new Islamic entity.

That may be the result, but it was not the reason for the establishment of Israel.

.... If we look at the two short-term goals, which are removing the Americans and establishing an Islamic amirate in Iraq, or a caliphate if possible, then, we will see that the strongest weapon which the mujahedeen enjoy - after the help and granting of success by God - is popular support from the Muslim masses in Iraq, and the surrounding Muslim countries. So, we must maintain this support as best we can, and we should strive to increase it, on the condition that striving for that support does not lead to any concession in the laws of the Sharia. And it's very important that you allow me to elaborate a little here on this issue of popular support.

In other words you are losing popular support by killing civilians. I know they are much easier to kill, because they dont have guns to shoot back, but they get ticked off at being killed, and are turning you in to the authorities.

.... The Muslim masses-for many reasons, and this is not the place to discuss it-do not rally except against an outside occupying enemy, especially if the enemy is firstly Jewish, and secondly American.

And it is getting very hard to keep them mad at the americans, who they see building schools and infrastructure projects, and bringing in aid to victims of tsunamis and earthquakes.

.... We don't want to repeat the mistake of the Taliban, who restricted participation in governance to the students and the people of Qandahar 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.

That was not the mistake the Taliban made. They might well still be in power if they had not let Al Quaeda have camps in their country from which they launched an attack against the US in 9/11, prompting the US to invade Afganistan.

.... Among the things which the feelings of the Muslim populace who love and support you will never find palatable - also- are the scenes of slaughtering the hostages.

Stop behedding people and killing civilians. It is bad PR

.... I have a definite desire to travel to you but I do not know whether that is possible from the standpoint of traveling and getting settled, so please let me know.

In other words things are getting hot for me here, and I would like to join you, but I dont know how to find you. Tell me where you are, and maybe the Americans can capture both of us at the same time.

.... Please take every caution in the meetings, especially when someone claims to carry an important letter or contributions. It was in this way that they arrested Khalid Sheikh. Likewise, please, if you want to meet one of your assistants, I hope that you don't meet him in a public place or in a place that is not known to you. I hope that you would meet him in a secure place, not the place of your residence. Because Abu al-Faraj - may God set him free and release him from his torment - was lured by one of his brothers, who had been taken into custody, to meet him at a public location where a trap had been set.

Take care. They are catching us by several different tactics.

6-The brothers informed me that you suggested to them sending some assistance. Our situation since Abu al-Faraj is good by the grace of God, but many of the lines have been cut off. Because of this, we need a payment while new lines are being opened. So, if you're capable of sending a payment of approximately one hundred thousand, we'll be very grateful to you.

We are broke. The US Government has frozen all of our assets. Send cash.

....