The Asinine Press and their recycled "Zarqawi Letter" story.

[stickdog]

Last night this story went out on the AP wires:

http://northcarolina.cox.net/cci/newsnational/national?_mode=view&_state=maximized&view=article&id=D8376RP80

Purported Letter From Militant Leader to Bin Laden Says Iraqi Fighters Squeezed by Coalition

U.S. Army soldiers look over the aftermath following a car bombing in central Baghdad, Iraq, Monday, June 14, 2004. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)

06-14-2004 11:32 PM
By NADIA ABOU EL-MAGD, Associated Press Writer

CAIRO, Egypt -- A leader of militants in Iraq has purportedly written to Osama bin Laden saying his fighters are being squeezed by U.S.-led coalition troops, according to a statement posted Monday on Islamic Web sites.

It was not possible to authenticate the statement allegedly from Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a Jordanian whose insurgent group claimed responsibility for the videotaped beheading of American Nicholas Berg.

Titled "The text of al-Zarqawi's message to Osama bin Laden about holy war in Iraq," the statement appeared on Web sites that have recently carried claims of responsibility for attacks in Saudi Arabia and Iraq.

"The space of movement is starting to get smaller," it said. "The grip is starting to be tightened on the holy warriors' necks and, with the spread of soldiers and police, the future is becoming frightening."

The statement says the militant movement in Iraq is racing against time to form battalions that can take control of the country "four months before the formation of the promised Iraqi government, hoping to spoil their plan." It appears to refer to the government that would take office after the elections scheduled for January 2005.

But didn't this happened 3-4 months ago?

Pretty amazing, isn't it, how Zarqawi's letters to Bin Laden always seem to end up in Coalition hands and always seem to be full of bad news for the bad guys and good news for the good guys?

It's almost as if Zarqawi were a Coalition PR flack ...

http://www.counterpunch.org/weiher02262004.html

http://www.counterpunch.org/weiher03092004.html

http://www.counterpunch.org/leupp03102004.html


******

But today, a clarification was issued:

http://www.boston.com/dailynews/167/world/Clarification_Iraq_Al_Zarqawi_:.shtml

Clarification: Iraq-Al-Zarqawi story

By Associated Press, 6/15/2004 13:16

CAIRO, Egypt (AP) In a June 14 story, The Associated Press reported that Islamic Web sites posted the text of a letter purportedly to Osama bin Laden from the leader of militants in Iraq saying his fighters were being squeezed by U.S.-led coalition troops.

A comparison subsequently showed that the purported letter from Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was the same text intercepted and released in February by the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq.

The text refers to insurgents' efforts to seize control of Iraq ''four months before the formation of the promised Iraqi government ....'' This appears to be a reference to the coalition's turnover of control planned June 30 rather than to Iraqi national elections in January 2005.


More highly impressive "journalistic professionalism" from the Asinine Press, huh?

[Hoping4Change]

1. Sounds like they're in the grip of an orgasm.

"The space of movement is starting to get smaller," it said. (oh oh oh oh oh, yes yes yes) "The grip is starting to be tightened on the holy warriors'necks (pant pant pant pant) and, with the spread of soldiers and police, (that's right spread'em warriors) the future is becoming frightening. 9oh god oh god oh god its commmmiinnnnnggg)"



:evilgrin: