We've already heard of this letter here, of course. I didn't see the full text though. Here it is.

www.dni.gov/letter_in_english.doc

Some select quotes

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.  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. As for the battles that are going on in the far-flung regions of the Islamic world, such as Chechnya, Afghanistan, Kashmir, and Bosnia, they are just the groundwork and the vanguard for the major battles which have begun in the heart of the Islamic world. We ask God that He send down his victory upon us that he promised to his faithful worshipers.

Obviously if we leave Iraq, the war will end and peace will flower o'er the land. [rollseyes]

The following is the AQ strategic plan:

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. 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. 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. 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 fourth stage:  It may coincide with what came before: the clash with Israel, because Israel was established only to challenge any new Islamic entity.   My raising this idea-I don't claim that it's infallible-is only to stress something extremely important.  And it is that the mujahedeen must not have their mission end with the expulsion of the Americans from Iraq, and then lay down their weapons, and silence the fighting zeal. We will return to having the secularists and traitors holding sway over us.  Instead, their ongoing mission is to establish an Islamic state, and defend it, and for every generation to hand over the banner to the one after it until the Hour of Resurrection.

My answer is, firstly: Things may develop faster than we imagine.  The aftermath of the collapse of American power in Vietnam-and how they ran and left their agents-is noteworthy.  Because of that, we must be ready starting now, before events overtake us, and before we are surprised by the conspiracies of the Americans and the United Nations and their plans to fill the void behind them.  We must take the initiative and impose a fait accompli upon our enemies, instead of the enemy imposing one on us, wherein our lot would be to merely resist their schemes.

Apparently the left and AQ really like to look at Vietnam as a case study.

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 that we are in a media battle in a race for the hearts and minds of our Umma. And that however far our capabilities reach, they will never be equal to one thousandth of the capabilities of the kingdom of Satan that is waging war on us. 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.

Like other conflicts, they know the play the media. "Hearts and minds" gave me a chuckle.

Anyway, it's a good read as a window into the enemy's mind.

AQ knows how to manipulate the American Media. Unfourtunately at least 50 percent of the American people fall for it. They are trying real hard with their accomplices in the media to turn this into a Vietnam where they  beat the US forces on the six o'clock news.

(sheriff buford t. justice) "You sumbitches couldn`t close an umbrella" (sheriff buford t. justice)