Letter Lays out al-Qaeda Plan for 9/11 Anniversary

A letter written by believed al-Qaeda spokesman and former Winchester resident Adam Pearlman lays out what was a plan for media appearances tied to the 10-year anniversary of 9/11.

The letter by Pearlman, who is now known as Adam Yahiye Gadahn, was among documents recovered from the Abbottabad, Pakistan raid in which was killed one year ago—four months prior to the 10-year anniversary.

Seventeen declassified documents captured in the raid were released to the Combating Terrorism Center (CTC).

In the letter said to have been written by Gadahn in late January 2011, detailed plans for media appearances by bin Ladin to mark the 10-year anniversary of "the attacks on Manhattan and Washington" are laid out.

"We should not forget that there are millions of admirers of the Shaykh in the Islamic world, who are eager for his appearance to ensure his health and that he is well. Those should be targeted in our speeches and messages, before the
Americans and Europeans, who do not listen to or evaluate what is being said," Gadahn wrote.

"The virtuous Shaykh has talked about the importance of exposing the justness of our case to the world and the Europeans in particular, and that is when talking about the preparation for the tenth anniversary to Manhattan battle."

(A full pdf of the letter is attached to this article.)

Gadahn, 33, grew up in a wooden cabin on a goat farm in Winchester, not far from Murrieta.

Relatives interviewed in 2004 said he grew into a teenager enamored of heavy-metal music and, eventually, Islam, the Washington Post reported in 2006 when Gadahn was indicted for treason and alleged material support to al-Qaeda.

He remains on the FBI's list of most-wanted terrorists.

The Rewards For Justice Program, United States Department of State, is offering a reward of up to $1 million for information leading to his arrest.