Rusted Sky

Pity poor Zarqawi. One of the first things you learn as a supervisor/manager in the military is that you don't chew someone out in public if at all possible.

But an intercepted letter has made it's way onto the internet, and has been translated - and Zarqawi's gotten himself a bit of an ass-chewing. I will endeavor to translate for those who are unfamiliar with the delicate phrasings involved, which look a lot like the sorts of statements you'd see in contemporary USAF EPRs and OPRs (Enlisted Performance Reports and Officer Performance Reports). The following interpretations shouldn't be seen as the actual intent of the writer, just what I read into things given my little knowledge of a lot of different subjects such as the circumlocations used in avoiding conflict in the Arabic countries and the bafflegarb used by EPR/OPR writers when they want to say someone's really screwed up - but they don't want it in plain language. What I'll translate starts on page 8.

(4 - The position on the Shia:

This subject is complicated and detailed. I have brought it up here so as not to address the general public on something they do not know. But please permit me to present it logically: (trans: Dude - you're messing up, people are concerned, and I'll try to keep this simple and to the point.)

(A) I repeat that I see the picture from afar, and I repeat that you see what we do not see. No doubt you have the right to defend yourself, the mujahedeen, and Muslims in general and in particular against any aggression or threat of aggression. (trans: We're seeing reports that your actions are ill-considered and excessive. It's all over the media, and we're wondering what's going on.)

(B) I assert here that any rational person understands with ease that the Shia cooperated with the Americans in the invasion of Afghanistan, Rafsanjani himself confessed to it, and they cooperated with them in the overthrow of Saddam and the occupation of Iraq in exchange for the Shia's assumption of power and their turning a blind eye to the American military presence in Iraq. This is clear to everybody who has two eyes. (trans: The Shia. They're apostates, they're bastards, and they dared to participate in the loss of both Afhganistan and Iraq. You know it, I know it.)

(C) People of discernment and knowledge among Muslims know the extent of danger to Islam of the Twelve'er school of Shiism. It is a religious school based on excess and falsehood whose function is to accuse the companions of Muhammad { of heresy in a campaign against Islam, in order to free the way for a group of those who call for a dialogue in the name of the hidden mahdi who is in control of existence and infallible in what he does. Their prior history in cooperating with the enemies of Islam is consistent with their current reality of connivance with the Crusaders. (Trans: They're really, really evil because they don't believe as we do, 'k?)

(D) The collision between any state based on the model of prophecy with the Shia is a matter that will happen sooner or later. This is the judgment of history, and these are the fruits to be expected from the rejectionist Shia sect and their opinion of the Sunnis.

These are clear, well-known matters to anyone with a knowledge of history, the ideologies, and the politics of states. (trans: Sooner or later, we're going to have to eliminate them. It's a given.)

(E) We must repeat what we mentioned previously, that the majority of Muslims don't comprehend this and possibly could not even imagine it. (trans: We're smarter than they are, and isn't that a good thing for Islam that we are, and we recognize the evil of the Shias?) For that reason, many of your Muslim admirers amongst the common folk are wondering about your attacks on the Shia. The sharpness of this questioning increases when the attacks are on one of their mosques, and it increases more when the attacks are on the mausoleum of Imam Ali Bin Abi Talib, may God honor him. My opinion is that this matter won't be acceptable to the Muslim populace however much you have tried to explain it, and aversion to this will continue. (trans: However, the media doesn't catch the distinction and the locals aren't buying the bullshit that you're trying to peddle that this advances the cause of Islam. You're killing them, and even if they're apostate dogs they see themselves as Muslims, and this doesn't look good.)

Indeed, questions will circulate among mujahedeen circles and their opinion makers about the correctness of this conflict with the Shia at this time. Is it something that is unavoidable? Or, is it something can be put off until the force of the mujahed movement in Iraq gets stronger? And if some of the operations were necessary for self-defense, were all of the operations necessary? Or, were there some operations that weren't called for? And is the opening of another front now in addition to the front against the Americans and the government a wise decision? Or, does this conflict with the Shia lift the burden from the Americans by diverting the mujahedeen to the Shia, while the Americans continue to control matters from afar? And if the attacks on Shia leaders were necessary to put a stop to their plans, then why were there attacks on ordinary Shia? (Trans: Dude, you're really out of whack here. You're bombing the wrong folks, you're fighting a fight that souldn't be fought right now. You're wasting resources, you're wasting money, and you're pissing off the people that you've got to live among. Yes, we're going to kill them off sometime, but that time is not now, and your focus on this is extremely short-sighted. This is not a good thing, and I suggest you stop it ASAP and start targeting Americans again.)

Won't this lead to reinforcing false ideas in their minds, even as it is incumbent on us to preach the call of Islam to them and explain and communicate to guide them to the truth? And can the mujahedeen kill all of the Shia in Iraq? Has any Islamic state in history ever tried that? And why kill ordinary Shia considering that they are forgiven because of their ignorance? And what loss will befall us if we did not attack the Shia? (trans: You can't convert a corpse. You can't get offerings from a corpse. Your attempt to convert all Shia to fertilizer is the wrong move at the wrong time, and is hurting support. We depend on you to target the Americans, hint hint. We'll take care of the others later.)

And do the brothers forget that we have more than one hundred prisoners - many of whom are from the leadership who are wanted in their countries - in the custody of the Iranians? And even if we attack the Shia out of necessity, then why do you announce this matter and make it public, which compels the Iranians to take counter measures? And do the brothers forget that both we and the Iranians need to refrain from harming each other at this time in which the Americans are targeting us? (Trans: You realize, we're tacitly working with the Iranians. As you know, they're primarily Shia. They want the Americans out, we want the Americans out. They're not happy about your targeting Shias. We need their support - without it we're toast. So STFU about your intentions, you nitwit, before you piss them off also! We'll take care of them in time, but that time is not now!)

All of these questions and others are circulating among your brothers, and they are monitoring the picture from afar, as I told you. One who monitors from afar lacks many of the important details that affect decision-making in the field. (trans: Al Jazeera's watching you make a fool of yourself, and we can only hope there's something we don't know that makes up for the stupidity you're exhibiting. People are wondering why I don't just yank your ass out of there - but you're the man on the scene until you get killed and it'd be nice to have some details behind the ideas of what you're trying to accomplish.)

However, monitoring from afar has the advantage of providing the total picture and observing the general line without getting submerged in the details, which might draw attention away from the direction of the target. As the English proverb says, the person who is standing among the leaves of the tree might not see the tree. (trans: From here, you look like an idiot. Your actions in Iraq are looking pointless and counterproductive. You're causing a lot of trouble by your decisions to indiscriminately bomb civilians and mosques.)

One of the most important factors of success is that you don't let your eyes lose sight of the target, and that it should stand before you always. Otherwise you deviate from the general line through a policy of reaction. And this is a lifetime's experience, and I will not conceal from you the fact that we suffered a lot through following this policy of reaction, then we suffered a lot another time because we tried to return to the original line. (trans: You're hurting us badly - a lot more than helping. Focus on getting the Americans out. Make them the target, not Iraqis, because we're losing serious support from both the Shia and Sunni communities. And we need that support.)

One of the most important things facing the leadership is the enthusiasm of the supporters, and especially of the energetic young men who are burning to make the religion victorious. This enthusiasm must flow wisely, and al-Mutanabbi says:

Courage in a man does suffice but not like the courage of one who is wise.

And he also says:

Judiciousness precedes the courage of the courageous which is second
And when the two blend in one free soul it reaches everywhere in the heavens. (trans: Stop thinking in terms of how many bombs you can put out, and start thinking about placing them where they'll do the most good. And the supply of suicide bombers is drying up, start recruiting the locals. We're doing this for their own good, after all, so they need to start carrying some of the C-4.)

In summation, with regard to the talk about the issue of the Shia, I would like to repeat that I see that matter from afar without being aware of all the details, I would like my words to be deserving of your attention and consideration, and God is the guarantor of success for every good thing. (trans: Listen up. Let me know immediately what your reasoning is, or I'll find someone to replace your ass. You may know the scene, but you're not irreplaceable, and if you don't get your head out of your ass soon you'll find out just how replaceable you are. Our window of opportunity is closing fast, and you're alienating the locals. Stop it. Now.)

It's pretty clear from this letter that Zawahiri's not at all pleased with Zarqawi. I don't know whether it's clear to Zarqawi just how much support he's losing by his actions - but I think that judging from this event he's not getting the message.

Austin Bay has analysis..

J.