Diary of a Bitter al-Qaeda Leader

Insurgent slams Sunnis who've deserted group to join American forces
By Wesley Oliver,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 10, 2008 12:49 PM CST
Diary of a Bitter al-Qaeda Leader
Members of an armed group of local citizens jubilate while patrolling the streets of north Baghdad's Azamiyah neighborhood, Iraq. Armed groups of local citizens, the so-called "Awakening councils", have sprouted up in communities across Iraq, where members swear allegiance to Iraq's U.S.-backed government...   (Associated Press)

Al-Qaeda’s once indomitable force in Iraq is suffering from diminished ranks and low resources: That’s the word not from US generals but from one of the insurgent group’s leaders. In a bitter 16-page diary, Abu Tariq blasts former members who deserted al-Qaeda to join American forces. “We were mistreated, cheated, and betrayed by some of our brothers,” the emir wrote.

Tariq, whose army dwindled from 600 to about 20, also cataloged the names of loyal tribesmen, al-Qaeda’s weapons arsenal, and how it financed missions. The US military will use the diary to launch a new al-Qaeda offensive, the Washington Post reports. “The information part of this conflict is as vital as the armed element of it,” said an official. (More Iraq stories.)

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