WASHINGTON – The chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Rep. Pete Hoekstra, a Republican of Michigan, yesterday warned not “to read too much” into a letter intercepted over the summer from Al Qaeda deputy and Jordanian born master terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

The letter dated July 9 was released yesterday to reporters from the director of national intelligence and in part includes a warning from Ayman al-Zawahiri to Mr. Zarqawi against targeting Iraqi civilians. Intelligence officials yesterday told reporters that the letter would provide a unique insight into Al Qaeda’s overall strategy, including its intention to establish an Islamic state in Iraq and take its terror war to Iraq’s neighbors, including Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria.

But Mr. Hoekstra yesterday warned that the letter may not be authentic. “The alleged communication between Ayman al-Zawahiri and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is under review by the appropriate members of the intelligence community,” the chairman said. “There will be significant discussion over the coming days and weeks as to its exact nature and intent. The letter may offer possible insight into the current state of Al Qaeda, but I caution against reading too much into a single source of intelligence.”

Last week, CBS News broke the story of the letter that was intercepted recently by American forces in Iraq. A statement on the Web site of the director of national intelligence highlights that its contents “offers a strategic vision for al Qa’ida’s direction for Iraq and beyond, and portrays al Qa’ida’s senior leadership’s isolation and dependence.”

For example, Mr. Zawahiri predicts that it’s possible American soldiers could leave Iraq quickly, drawing a parallel with America’s exit from south Vietnam during the war there. “Things may develop faster than we imagine. The aftermath of the collapse of American power in Vietnam – and how they ran and left their agents – is noteworthy. Because of that, we must be ready starting now, before events overtake us, and before we are surprised by the conspiracies of the Americans and the United Nations and their plans to fill the void behind them,” Al Qaeda’s top deputy allegedly wrote.

Mr. Zawahiri also warns Mr. Zarqawi against repeating the mistake Al Qaeda made in Afghanistan by limiting participation in the government only to students in Kandahar province. He urges that the mujahideen in Iraq include scientists, merchants, writers, and others in an effort to create a popular base for an Islamic state.

Mr. Zarqawi appears not to have taken Mr. Zawahiri’s advice. Yesterday, a string of car bombs went off around Baghdad, killing at least 40 people. Wire reports from the Iraqi capital suggest that Sunni Arab political parties that had joined terrorists in rejecting the constitution agreed last night to last-minute changes to the draft charter. Iraqis are scheduled to vote on the charter on October 15.