Bin Laden is alive and well

Post by **Lord Mhoram** » Fri Sep 07, 2007 11:03 pm

A new video tape purportedly made by al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden has urged the American people to embrace Islam in order to stop the war in Iraq.

Date references suggest it may have been made as recently as this summer, US officials studying the tape said.

They also say the speaker makes no overt threats against the US.

The release of the tape comes ahead of the sixth anniversary of the 11 September attacks. Bin Laden has not been seen in a video since 2004.

'Two choices'

US intelligence officials have yet to confirm the authenticity of the latest 30-minute tape, a short excerpt of which was aired by al-Jazeera TV on Friday evening.

It appears to show Bin Laden sitting at a table, dressed in a white robe and turban and beige cloak. His beard looks shorter and darker than in the video issued in 2004.

Beneath him a banner reads in English "A message from Sheikh Osama Bin Laden to the American people".

The speaker makes no overt threats to the US and did not directly call for attacks, according to transcripts of the tape obtained by several media organisations in the United States.

Instead, he tells the American people that they have failed to persuade the Bush administration to stop the war in Iraq.

"You made one of your greatest mistakes, in that you neither brought to account nor punished those who waged this war," the speaker in the tape says, according to the transcript obtained by ABC News.

"You permitted Bush to complete his first term, and stranger still, chose him for a second term, which gave him a clear mandate from you... to continue to murder our people in Iraq and Afghanistan".

The speaker tells the American public that there are two ways to end the war in Iraq: "The first is from our side, and it is to continue to escalate the killing and fighting against you."

The second way, he continues, is to reject America's democratic system and convert to Islam.

"It has now become clear to you and the entire world the impotence of the democratic system and how it plays with the interest of the peoples and their blood by sacrificing soldiers and populations to achieve the interests of the major corporations".

"I invite you to embrace Islam," the speaker says.

The transcript also makes reference to French President Nicolas Sarkozy, which indicates that the tape was recorded after Mr Sarkozy's victory in May.

...

news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6984102.stm

Post by **Plissken** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 12:02 am

Gre-e-e-ea-a-a-t. The premier Fundamentalist freak on the one side is just what we need to get the Fundamentalist freaks on the other side good n' fired up.

This whole conflict is sure to be over soon.

Post by **Zarathustra** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 3:08 am

"It has now become clear to you and the entire world the impotence of the democratic system and how it plays with the interest of the peoples and their blood by sacrificing soldiers and populations to achieve the interests of the major corporations".

And who does that sound like? Is this guy running for the Democratic Party nomination or something? Does it bother any of you that Bin Laden sounds like you and makes similar arguments?

The man knows how to recognize our weaknesses, that's for sure. Got to give him credit for using a good strategy: utilize the anti-American propaganda that our own Americans are themselves espousing. That's a nice way to play us against ourselves. I just wish so many Americans wouldn't fall for it.

Post by **finn** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 3:18 am

Malik, he's been playing you since 2001!

OBL did not create or pass the patriot act, he did not invade Iraq, he did not sanction wire tapping, illegal information gathering by the FBI, Torture and Gitmo, all he did was sit back and let you do it to yourselves and do you know how he could sit back? Because no-one has gone looking for him!

Post by **Lord Mhoram** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 1:08 pm

Exactly, finn. Not only that, but I wonder if bin Laden recognizes that the terror he inflicted on our country is the reason GWB was reelected. Bin Laden is seemingly trying to embarrass Bush's enemies (criticizing the Democrats as ineffective, praising Noam Chomsky as one of our "most capable" voices, etc.) and in the process is only strengthening Bush's message about al-Qaeda in Iraq while improving Bush's image - which is exactly what bin Laden wants. Nothing helps al-Qaeda's cause more than the American occupation of Iraq, and bin Laden knows that.

edit: and if you really believe the Democrats have Marxist tendencies, you have a very skewed perspective of the political spectrum.

Post by **Edge** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 3:56 pm

"Makes no overt threats?"

'Either convert to Islam or we'll escalate the killing and fighting.'

Huh. How much more of a threat does it need to be, before it's considered 'overt'?

Post by **danlo** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 4:11 pm

He should do a "Just For Men" commercial with that beard--I say to Bin Laden: Convert to capitalism our we shoot you in your diaper head!

Post by **Lord Mhoram** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 5:20 pm

You can read the transcript here. Truly bin Laden at his most Machiavellian.

Post by **Avatar** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 5:55 am

Lord Mhoram wrote:Nothing helps al-Qaeda's cause more than the American occupation of Iraq, and bin Laden knows that.

Agreed LM. As Malik says, you gotta give the guy credit. (Even if he has been a bit of a flash in the pan.) Still, I guess he doesn't have to hurry any either.

--A

Post by **Prebe** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 9:49 am

LM wrote:edit: and if you really believe the Democrats have Marxist tendencies, you have a very skewed perspective of the political spectrum.

I can second that obviously

Post by **SoulBiter** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 12:18 pm

What would make you believe that it is even him? Looks like some propaganda from Al Queda to try to muster more support for them. I think after he's dead (if he isnt already), these tapes will continue to surface.

Post by **Harbinger** » Mon May 02, 2011 3:02 am

He's a dead motherfucker now!!!

I wish we would bury him with a pig carcass.

Post by **Worm of Despite** » Mon May 02, 2011 4:08 am

We are pimps. USA will wreck your shit.

Post by **Tjol** » Mon May 02, 2011 4:53 am

Harbinger wrote:He's a dead motherfucker now!!!

I wish we would bury him with a pig carcass.

We still have the opportunity to do so. He ain't buried yet.

p.s. Does this pretty much mean that Hillary's chances at a primary challenge are DOA? Billy Clinton said, "Don't shoot." Obama said "Fire away!"

If only in this regard, Obama's done a better job at president than Clinton did.

Post by **Savor Dam** » Mon May 02, 2011 5:45 am

In-party challenges to an incumbent president seeking a second term are neither a high-percentage wager nor particularly career enhancing. The last two people (to my recollection) who tried were Ted Kennedy against Jimmy Carter in 1980 and Pete McCloskey against Richard Nixon in 1972.

"Pete Who?" ask the younger readers...well, he was a Republican congressman from California who ran on an anti-war platform against RMN. That you have not heard of him attests to how successful he was.

McCloskey subsequently lost his congressional seat to Leo Ryan. Does that name ring a bell? That's the only congressman killed in the line of duty. He was gunned down in November 1978 on an airstrip in Guyana by members of Jim Jones' cult, Peoples Temple, all 900+ of whom then commited suicide by drinking a poisoned drink -- which was NOT Kool-aid.

Post by **Vain** » Mon May 02, 2011 9:09 am

Harbinger wrote:He's a dead motherfucker now!!!

I wish we would bury him with a pig carcass.

And wrapped in bacon?

And Tjol - they buried him within 24 hours....at sea...

Post by **Loredoctor** » Mon May 02, 2011 9:49 am

Vain wrote:And Tjol - they buried him within 24 hours....at sea...

And here come the conspiracy theories . . .

Post by **High Lord Tolkien** » Mon May 02, 2011 12:28 pm

Loremaster wrote:
Vain wrote:And Tjol - they buried him within 24 hours....at sea...
And here come the conspiracy theories . . .

Based on the various radio stations I listened to on my way to work.......it's on big time!

"where's the body?"
"where are the pics?"
"why a burial at sea now? why not wait a few weeks?"
"So now we have no body and the compound is destroyed?"
"just before the 2012 election"
And a lot more......

Post by **Vraith** » Mon May 02, 2011 2:34 pm

High Lord Tolkien wrote:
Loremaster wrote:
Vain wrote:And Tjol - they buried him within 24 hours....at sea...
And here come the conspiracy theories . . .
Based on the various radio stations I listened to on my way to work.......it's on big time!

"where's the body?"
"where are the pics?"
"why a burial at sea now? why not wait a few weeks?"
"So now we have no body and the compound is destroyed?"
"just before the 2012 election"
And a lot more......

Wow...I'm gonna have to go listen to some now.
Though the "just before election" doesn't make sense...Septemper 11 of next year would have been the election booster.

Post by **Zarathustra** » Mon May 02, 2011 2:44 pm

Vraith wrote: Though the "just before election" doesn't make sense...Septemper 11 of next year would have been the election booster.

Saying that Obama did this to win an election is just stupid. I can't believe anyone would actually go there.

Anyway, it's going to be one hell of a September 11th this year. The 10th anniversary ... and we got him. I'm not saying we should turn it into a party or anything like that. But a sense of closure and victory will now be part of the 10 year memorial service, something to balance out all the sadness.

Kevin's Watch

Kevin's Watch

Bin Laden is alive and well

Bin Laden is alive and well