Al-Zarqawi says his wounds are minor
CAIRO, Egypt - Iraq's insurgent leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi purportedly made an audio address to Osama bin Laden on Monday to assure the al-Qaida leader that he was in good health after being wounded in a fire fight with U.S. troops.
There was no way to confirm that the voice was that of Jordanian-born terror leader al-Zarqawi.
However, the recording was carried by a Web site frequently used by militant Islamic groups, and the voice sounded similar to that previously attributed to al-Zarqawi.
"I am sure you have heard through the media that I was wounded and treated in a Ramadi hospital. I would like to assure you and the Muslim nation that these were pure allegations. It was a light wound, thank God. We are back fighting them in the land of the two rivers."
The speaker addressed the message as "a letter from a soldier on the firing line to his commander."
The speaker purporting to be al-Zarqawi addressed bin Laden as his "emir," or commander, asked bin Laden for guidance on conducting the insurgency. He said he sent bin Laden a war plan and asked for comments or approval.
Al-Zarqawi also claimed that his insurgent followers had won this month's bloody battle against U.S. troops at the town of Qaim near the Syrian border.
"It was one of the greatest battles of Islam," the speaker said. "We would like to assure you that we are continuing on the path of jihad, we are committed to our pledge. We will either win or die trying."
Clinton supports U.S. decision to ease curbs on Indonesia ties
BANDA ACEH, Indonesia - Former President Clinton said Monday he favored easing restrictions on sales of military equipment to Indonesia, maintaining that America should do all it can to help it rebuild after the tsunami.
The United States disclosed Thursday it would lift a ban on the sale of certain military equipment to Indonesia, drawing criticism from human rights groups who say the country hasn't done enough to curb alleged abuses by the military in insurgency-wracked areas.
Clinton said lifting the ban would help relations with Indonesia, which the United States considers an important ally in its war on terrorism.
"I support the decision made by President Bush, not because I know all the facts, but because I think we always need to be making a new beginning," he said.
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