Bin Laden letter branded a fake

A letter that a leader of militants in Iraq purportedly wrote to Osama bin Laden saying his fighters are being squeezed by US-led coalition troops has resurfaced on Islamic Web sites, drawing fire today from al-Qaida sympathisers.

The letter was identical to one that the coalition in Iraq made public in February, saying it had been intercepted by US intelligence and had been written to bin Laden by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

Al-Zarqawi is a Jordanian whose insurgent group claimed responsibility for the videotaped beheading of American Nicholas Berg.

The letter met with scepticism when it was first released by the Americans, with portions shared and discussed among contributors to forums that regularly feature views in line with al-Qaida’s.

One contributor to the forum where the letter appeared in its entirety dismissed it as a US effort to misinform al-Qaida supporters.

US authorities believe al-Zarqawi runs his own terrorist operation but is an ally of bin Laden, whose al-Qaida network orchestrated the September 11 attacks.