A letter obtained by US officials had revealed al-Qaeda's long-term strategy, with visions to take terrorist activities beyond Iraq to other Middle East countries, The Washington Post reported Friday.

The letter was sent to Abu Musab Zarqawi, the leader of Iraq's insurgency, from Bin Laden's lieutenant Ayman Zawahiri, US State Department officials were quoted as saying.

The 13-page letter, dated in July, provided a "comprehensive look at al Qaeda's strategy in Iraq and beyond" with "chilling clarity," said the officials.

The letter was captured in Iraq during anti-terror operations. But the officials declined to specify how or when.

The letter outlined a four-stage plan: expelling US forces from Iraq,establishing a caliphate over as much of Iraq as possible, extending Jihad to neighboring countries with specific reference to Egypt, Syria and Lebanon, and war against Israel.

US officials said they were struck by the letter's emphasis on the centrality of Iraq to al-Qaeda's long-term mission.

In the letter, al-Qaeda's leadership also warned Zarqawi against alienating the Islamic world and virtually reprimanded the Iraqi branch of al-Qaeda for beheading hostages and then distributing videotapes.

The letter further requested financial support from Zarqawi and asked for more information about the insurgency in Iraq, thus the al-Qaeda leadership would be informed about the developments there.

US officials said Zarqawi seemed not to have heeded the warnings in the letter, because the insurgents had continued the beheading, including two this week.

Source: Xinhua