A posting on an Islamic Web site Thursday accused Washington of fabricating a letter in which al-Qaeda's No. 2 leader asked for money and laid out the network's plans for expanding in the Middle East.
"We in al-Qaeda declare that there is no truth to these claims, and they are baseless, except in the imagination of the politicians of the Black (White) House," according to the statement on a Web site known as related to al-Qaeda.
The statement was signed Abu Maysara, who claims to be spokesman for al-Qaeda in Iraq, the AP reported.
"We call on Muslims not to pay attention to this cheap propaganda and to remember that the media will always be the infidels' sole weapon until the end of the battle," the statement said.
U.S. officials said the letter dated July 9 to al-Qaeda leader in Iraq Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, first disclosed by the Pentagon last Friday and released in full on Tuesday, was acquired during American operations in Iraq.
