end jihad, advises an Al Qaeda ideologue

An Al Qaeda “theologian” has changed his mind about jihad, reports the New York Sun:

One of Al Qaeda’s senior theologians is calling on his followers to end their military jihad and saying the attacks of September 11, 2001, were a “catastrophe for all Muslims.”

In a serialized manifesto written from prison in Egypt, Sayyed Imam al-Sharif is blasting Osama bin Laden for deceiving the Taliban leader, Mullah Omar, and for insulting the Prophet Muhammad by comparing the September 11 attacks to the early raids of the Ansar warriors. The lapsed jihadist even calls for the formation of a special Islamic court to try Osama bin Laden and his old comrade Ayman al-Zawahri.

Andrew Sullivan links to this same article and advises his readers to “know hope.”

It seems like a big deal to me and hugely encouraging in the effort to expose and defang the credibility of al Qaeda among many Muslims. …

There are times when the best strategy is to give the Jihadists enough rope to hang themselves in the Arab-Muslim world. Know hope.

I must assume that Sullivan didn’t actually read the article to find out how this miraculous conversion of an Al Qaeda “theologian” came about—namely, through torture:

Last month, in a video produced by Al Qaeda’s production company, Mr. Zawahri said the latest recantations from his one time friend were the result of torture …

On Monday, an American intelligence official familiar with the interrogation of Mr. Sharif said that in 2004 the Al Qaeda cleric was tortured. “All I am saying is that screw drivers were involved,” this official, who asked to be anonymous, said.

n.b.: I am not supporting the use of torture. I am saying that Andrew Sullivan is incoherent on this subject.