In Timbuktu, al-Qaeda left behind a manifesto

In their hurry to flee last month, al-Qaeda fighters left behind a crucial document: Tucked under a pile of papers and trash is a confidential letter, spelling out the terror network's strategy for conquering northern Mali and reflecting internal discord over how to rule the region.

The document indicates that al-Qaeda predicted the military intervention that would dislodge it in January and recognized its own vulnerability. The letter also shows a sharp division within al-Qaeda's Africa chapter over how quickly and how strictly to apply Islamic law. (AP)