Smells like bullshit. We can't manage to find Zarqawi but we can manage to intercept his field memos to bin Laden -- twice? Also, the "grip on the neck" prose is just a little bit over the top. It sounds like a conversation between Darth Vader and Grand Moff Tarkin.

Yes, it does sound like an implausible admission, but the article says not that we "intercepted" it, but that it's being published on Al Qaeda websites (or at least websites of those proclaiming responsibility for recent attacks).

Aha. It helps to read all the words, doesn't it?

So then. Why would Al Qaeda publish a letter from one of its top people stating how bleak the future looks? It would be like the DoD website publishing a press release from Rumsfeld entitled, "We're Fucked."

Why does NARAL send out letters saying that women can't get abortions in Idaho?

If that's the case, it's clearly disinformation. I'm sure they know that the law enforcement and intelligence agencies all around the world are monitoring websites and online forii.

Organizations have two standard letters:

1) We're doing great! Send us money so we can do more great work!

and

2) We're doing horribly! We're losing! A [blank's] right to [blank] is threatened by a vast [blank] wing conspiracy! Send us money so that we can fight against the forces of [repression/"fabulousness"]!

And the funny thing is they send out both types of letters in the same week.

Point taken, but how often do you see letter number two being sent out by a government (or quasi-government) in wartime? NARAL's got nothing to lose; but a military with troops already fighting on the front has to think about the effect their letter will have on those troops' morale. Just seems strange to me that Al Q would risk discouraging the scum in the field.

For a story entitled "The Future Is Becoming Frightening," shouldn't you use a current photo of Tawny Kitaen?

In other words, if Zarqawi's organization is sending out two letters this week, the "We're doing great, send us more money" letter has a picture of TK spread-eagle on a Jaguar.

The letter you've quoted, on the other hand, has her mugshot and says, "Our future looks like this."

It makes sense that the Jihadis use this type of medium to communicate with the big man...I doubt Zarqawi can just slap a couple of Ahmed Yassin Commemorative stamps on an envelope and overnight it to Osama. Still I would expect such stuff to be coded or whatnot.

poker me up