al Qaeda Knows the US Media

John Hinderaker at Power Line has analysis of the recently released captured letter from Ayman al-Zawahiri in hiding to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in Iraq.

Zawahiri's Advice: During the summer, American forces in Iraq intercepted a long letter from al Zawahiri, al Qaeda's number two leader, to Zarqawi, leader of al Qaeda's forces in Iraq. … His main purpose in writing the letter was to dissuade Zarqawi from the mass murder of Shia, and from releasing videos of beheadings.

It is important to understand that many of the original top echelon Islamic Jihadist leaders come from affluent and highly educated backgrounds, and they understand Western Media is one of the weapons they can use against Western Culture. Dr. al-Zawahiri states the fact as straight forward as it can be written.

However, despite all of this, I say to you: that we are in a battle, and that more than half of this battle is taking place in the battlefield of the media.... And we can kill the captives by bullet. That would achieve that which is sought after without exposing ourselves to the questions and answering to doubts. We don't need this.

al Qaeda knows they will never directly defeat the military strength of America, however, they believe they can achieve their desire for a Islamic Caliphate by other methods. The collective terrorist leadership has studied the recent history of the world and find hope in the precedent of America’s own media destroying the American will to triumph over oppression. Fortunately, there are people in America who have also learned the lessons of history. Again by John Hinderaker:

Reading Zawahiri's letter is almost enough to make you feel sorry for him. He is like an old Bolshevik, wringing his hands over the murderous policies of his Stalinist progeny. Zawahiri was once a doctor, and is a relatively cultured and learned man. Zarqawi was a Jordanian street thug and is now a sadistic mass murderer. One can easily imagine how little effect Zawahiri's remorse will have on the bloodthirsty leader of the Iraqi "insurgency."

If Lenin had lived in exile, he may have written a similar letter to Stalin who would have similarly ignored thoughtful consideration, because a true thug only understands thuggery.