Zawahiri Opts for the Lumbergh Approach in Iraq

Hey, Al-Masri, Whaaaat's Happening. Did You Get that Memo?

In a modest blow to the Al-Qaeda propaganda apparatus, MNF-I has released a letter addressed from Zawahiri (Al-Qaeda #2) to Al-Masri, the leader of the Islamic State of Iraq who flew the coop to Afghanistan early this summer. The letter was intercepted in a raid in March 2008, and Jihadica has bulletized highlights:

• Leadership: Masri too isolated to keep watch of his operatives. Zawahiri questions Masri’s ability to lead AQI.
• Poor Communication with AQ Central: Zawahiri concerned that he is not getting regular updates on Iraq. He is also not receiving regular communication from Masri.
• Poor Recruits: Dissatisfied with poor quality of recruits for ops in Iraq
• ISI’s Legitimacy: Questions manner in which the Islamic State of Iraq was established
• ISI’s Blatant Propaganda: Unhappy that ISI is repackaging old footage of operations and claiming the ops are new. Also unhappy that ISI takes credit for ops carried out by other terror groups, like Islamic Jihad. Zawahiri writes: “The media policy for the Islamic State is using exaggeration, to the extent of lying.”

It appears that Al-Masri has been slacking on his terrorist duties, but it's hard out in the desert for an aspiring jihadist. Look at some of the bullshit he has to put up with at work:

• Stepped up raids along the Syrian border preventing foreign-fighter influx (LWJ)
• Coordinated operations by coalition and Iraqi security forces to target terrorist cells in Baghdad and northern Iraq (American Forces Press Service)
• Predecessor killed by infidels in an airstrike (WaPo)
• Rejection of Al-Qaeda ideology by Sunni tribes in original homebase of Anbar province (Counterrorism Blog)
• Former Al-Qaeda logistics hub, Triangle of Death, in rural area south of Baghdad now called "Triangle of Love" (John Nagl at Intel Dump)

Cut Masri some slack, Zawahiri, damn.