According to a 21-page media strategy letter, al Qaeda operative Adam Gadahn didn’t care for Fox News, thought CNN was better in Arabic and liked MSNBC better before Keith Olbermann was fired.
The undated letter, obtained from a senior Obama administration official by the Washington Post’s David Ignatius, appears to have been written after November 2010, Ignatius writes. The letter was taken from Osama bin Laden’s compound during last year’s raid in Abbottabad.
It also mentions releasing al Qaeda videos around the time of the 2010 midterm elections, because the country was focusing on the economy and not the cost of wars abroad. Gadhan — who was born in America and converted to Islam at the age of 17 — speaks highly of ABC and CBS, citing “Brian Russ,” as a favorite journalist — likely ABC News’ investigative reporter Brian Ross.
And finally, as Ignatius writes, Gadhan wrote about exploiting the 10th anniversary of Sept. 11, with the possibility of offering “an exclusive press scoop.” Then, on second thought, maybe it’s better to spread bin Laden around so there will be “healthy competition.”
Read Ignatius’ column full column here.
David Taintor
David Taintor is TPM’s News Editor. He contributes to TPM’s Livewire coverage, among other areas. David is from Chanhassen, Minnesota, where, yes, it gets very cold. Reach him at taintor [at] talkingpointsmemo.com
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