US embassy cable - 05ALGIERS2116

C O N F I D E N T I A L ALGIERS 002116 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/16/2015 
TAGS: PTER, KISL, IZ, AG, Terrorism 
SUBJECT: DISCUSSING ZAWAHIRI-ZARQAWI LETTER WITH HIGH 
ISLAMIC COUNCIL 
 
REF: STATE 188931 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Marc Sievers, Reason 1.4 (b) (d) 
 
1.  (C) Charge took advantage of an October 15 meeting on 
other issues with the President of the High Islamic Council, 
Cheikh Bouamrane, to provide him a copy of the Arabic text, 
downloaded from the DNI website, of Ayman al-Zawahiri's 
letter to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.  Charge stressed that the 
letter provided documentary evidence of Al-Qaida's plans to 
turn Iraq into a base for overthrowing moderate regimes in 
the region and establishing a "Caliphate" based on their 
perverted interpretation of Islam.  Charge added that 
Zawahiri's comments about how to adjust terrorist tactics in 
Iraq in order to win over Islamic public opinion made it all 
the more urgent for moderate Islamic leaders to oppose 
publicly Al-Qaida's twisted interpretation of their religion. 
 
2.  (C) Bouamrane, who is known for his opposition to the 
Coalition intervention and presence in Iraq, thanked Charge 
for the Zawahiri letter, noting that he had heard about it 
from the Arabic media but was interested in reading the 
original message himself.  While not accepting Charge's 
analysis in advance of reading the letter, Bouamrane said 
that if Zawahiri's advocacy of terrorism and political 
ambitions were as Charge described, the High Islamic Council 
would condemn them publicly.  He stressed, however, his view 
that discussions of the correct interpretation of the concept 
of jihad and Islamic principles should be conducted "among 
Muslims." 
SIEVERS