WORLD / Middle East

Al-Qaida sought U.S.-Iran war
(AP)
Updated: 2006-06-15 22:59

A blueprint for trying to start a war between the United States and Iran was among a "huge treasure" of documents found in the hideout of terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, Iraqi officials said Thursday.


A Jordanian boy holds a poster with pictures of Abu-Musab al-Zarqawi, the head of al-Qaida in Iraq who was killed in a U.S. strike in Iraq, right, and Jordanian lawmaker of the Islamic Action front Mohammed Abu Fares, left, with the Arabic writing of 'Two faces , one coin' during a protest in Amman, Jordan, Thursday, June 15, 2006. against the visit of four lawmakers last week to the wake of Abu-Musab al-Zarqawi. The lawmakers of the Islamic Action front were arrested Sunday and charged by the military prosecutor of causing sectarian strife and fueling national discord. [Reuters]

The document, purporting to reflect al-Qaida policy and its cooperation with groups loyal to ousted President Saddam Hussein, also appear to show that the insurgency in Iraq was weakening.

The al-Qaida in Iraq document was translated and released by Iraqi National Security Adviser Mouwafak al-Rubaie. There was no way to independently confirm the authenticity of the information attributed to al-Qaida.

Although the office of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said the document was found in al-Zarqawi's hideout following a June 7 airstrike that killed him, U.S. military spokesman Maj. Gen. William Caldwell said the document had in fact been found in a previous raid as part of an ongoing three-week operation to track al-Zarqawi.

"We can verify that this information did come off some kind of computer asset that was at a safe location," he said. "This was prior to the al-Zarqawi safe house."

The document also said al-Zarqawi planned to try to destroy the relationship between the United States and its Shiite allies in Iraq.

While the coalition was continuing to suffer human losses, "time is now beginning to be of service to the American forces and harmful to the resistance," the document said.
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