Bin Laden tape real

Transcript of the Bin Laden tape: :party01:

http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/msnbc/sections/news/070907_bin_laden_transcript.pdf

Quote :

[The people of the U.S.] are reeling under the burden of interest-related debts, insane taxes and real estate mortgages, global warming and it's woes....

My God this man is right! Where do I sign up? :laugh4:

Hmmmmm.

Now that man knows how to work a room.

He came off as a kindly old sage, concerned for the fate of humankind & concerned for our individual souls. He actually made some good points, especially about the soldiers in Iraq.

In his little missive, he reminds me of a charasmatic preacher, proselytizing for Allah.

The way he slammed both the current administration and the Democrats made me wonder if he was making a bid for the Independent nomination for the 2008 ballot? heh

Unfortunately, this world has seen it's share of charming and persuasive serial killers. Ted Bundy. Jack the Ripper. Adolf Hitler.

New bin Laden video surfaces

(CNN) -- A new video purportedly featuring an introduction from al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was released Tuesday -- the sixth anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington.

Although CNN could not independently confirm the authenticity of the video, it did feature the logo of As-Sahab Media, the company that traditionally handles al Qaeda communications to the public.

The 47-minute videotape was obtained by terrorism expert Laura Mansfield before it was to appear on several Islamist Web sites known for carrying statements from al Qaeda and other radical groups.

In the 14-minute introduction to the video, a voice identified as bin Laden praises 9/11 hijacker Waleed al-Shehri, from Saudi Arabia, who sat in seat 2B on American Airlines Flight 11, which crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center. The voice speaking in Arabic is heard over a still picture of bin Laden and contains English subtitles.

The balance of the recording is a video will by al-Shehri. He is the seventh of the 19 hijackers to appear in such a will since the terrorist attacks.

The voice and picture in the video sound and appear similar to a bin Laden video released late last week.

For several weeks, radical Islamist Web sites have been announcing that there would be "good news soon from Sheikh Osama bin Laden."

New video raises questions on bin Laden By LEE KEATH, Associated Press Writer
23 minutes ago

CAIRO, Egypt - Two messages from Osama bin Laden in a matter of days have revived the game of questions over his health and whereabouts, but they also made clear he is al-Qaida's propaganda "top gun," able to draw attention in the West and strike a chord among sympathizers.

In a new video released Tuesday, bin Laden's voice was heard commemorating one of the Sept. 11 suicide hijackers and calling on young Muslims to follow his example in martyring themselves in attacks.

It came on the heels of a video released Saturday containing the first new images of the terror movement's leader in nearly three years. It showed him urging Americans to convert to Islam and railing against capitalism, globalization and democracy as failed philosophies.

Both releases on Web sites used by Islamic extremists may in part be an attempt to use bin Laden's charisma to win over supporters in an audience of growing importance for al-Qaida — Muslim converts and immigrants from Muslim countries living in the West, particularly Europe.

Militants from both groups have been implicated in several plots inside Europe in recent years, and the anti-globalization rhetoric could be aimed at giving disenchanted Muslims there further reason to join his cause, along with his traditional condemnation of U.S. policy in the Mideast.

The two videos, timed to mark the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States, also made a splash in the U.S. at a time when the presidential campaign and falling support for the war in Iraq have prompted a debate on how America should be fighting terrorism.

Presidential candidates weighed in on the question of whether the man President Bush once vowed to take "dead or alive" remains a threat. Republican Fred Thompson called bin Laden a "symbolic" figure, while Rudolph Giuliani insisted the al-Qaida leader needed to be taken down.

U.S. intelligence agencies, meanwhile, are poring over bin Laden's messages, looking for clues to the 50-year-old's health and location.

Little was immediately evident, except for bin Laden's new beard — dyed a dark black from the mostly gray of previous videos.

The images in Saturday's video were clearly recent — made at least since June, because bin Laden mentioned British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who took office that month, and perhaps done as recently as early August.

Because bin Laden's image moves for only a few minutes in the first tape and not at all in the second, questions are being raised about his health.

Magnus Ranstorp, a terrorism expert at the Swedish National Defense College, said trying to guess at bin Laden's physical condition from the images is pure speculation. But it is clear that the al-Qaida leader is plugged in, he said.

"He's very much up on current events, but it is more than that. Bin Laden has learned to skillfully package and tap into issues that have political currency and a wide resonance outside his normal constituency," Ranstorp said.

The messages end a long dry spell for bin Laden — his last video had been released in October 2004, while his last audiotape came out in July 2006.

During that lull, numerous videos and audiotapes were issued by his deputy, Egyptian Ayman al-Zawahri, who many analysts believe has a more direct hand in al-Qaida and has led the rebuilding of the network's command since the 2001 U.S. assault on Afghanistan.

Bruce Hoffman, a terrorism expert and professor at Georgetown University, said the evidence indicates al-Zawahri likely holds al-Qaida's operational reins, heading meetings of the network's top leadership in the border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

But Bin Laden is "still the marquee name ... wheeled out in dramatic fashion," Hoffman said.

"He's a brand name, probably one of the most recognizable brand names in the world. So he has tremendous value in that respect. He's the headliner."

Tuesday's video was the latest in an al-Qaida tradition: Every year on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attack it has commemorated one or two of the 19 suicide hijackers by releasing their videotaped "last will and testament."

This year, the video included the testament of Waleed al-Shehri, one of the hijackers on American Airlines Flight 11 that hit the World Trade Center. An audiotape of bin Laden introduced the testament, played over a still photo of the terror leader taken from Saturday's video.

Bin Laden praised al-Shehri, saying he "recognized the truth" that Arab rulers are "vassals" of the West and have "abandoned the balance of (Islamic) revelation."

"It remains for us to do our part. So I tell every young man among the youth of Islam: It is your duty to join the caravan (of martyrs) until the sufficiency is complete and the march to aid the High and Omnipotent continues," Bin Laden said.

One thing the messages may show is that bin Laden feels secure enough to emerge.

"It means he is freer to move and to talk and he is in (a) safer place. Now he is more confident to communicate to the media," said Abdul Bari Atwan, editor of the pan-Arab newspaper al-Quds al-Arabi and author of "The Secret History of al-Qaida."

By issuing two tapes in just four days, "he is saying, 'I'm back,'" Atwan said.

Wow, this is an excellent, thought-provoking article.

September 19, 2007

Bush or bin Laden: Who is More Evil?
By Ryan Yeomans
Staff Writer

It is the time of the year once again for Americans to mourn the loss of friends, family members and co-workers and to remember all who died on September 11, 2007. But while most of us hold the anniversary as a reminder of those who have passed and of the dangers that still exist everyday, Osama bin Laden has been spending his time grooming his beard and reading up on current events so that he can release a new video to the public. This year, bin Laden was nice enough to distribute two videos within a week, which together contain over an hour of new material.
The first video, which was released on the Thursday before September 11, contains 47 minutes of Osama speaking about everything from the holocaust to global warming. He praises the 9/11 hijackers and, as usual, suggests that Islam is the only option for savior. He continues by bashing George Bush and lists many interesting statements regarding the world’s current situation.

While I cannot support bin Laden’s opinion that all Americans should be killed and that Islam is the only way to be saved, it is hard to overlook the statements that he makes about the Bush administration.

Bin Laden states, “This war was entirely unnecessary, as testified to by your own reports,” and goes on to say that despite the Democrats attempts to end the war, nothing can be done because “those with real power and influence are those with the most capital.” I urge you to read the transcript of the video for yourself, as there are countless arguments made against Bush and his supporting Americans.

The Bush administration was quick to respond to bin Laden’s first video appearance in three years by stating that he is useless, “aside from his ability to hide in caves and spread anti-American propaganda.” White House aide Frances Fragos Townsend went on to say that “This is a man on the run, from a cave, who’s virtually impotent other than these tapes.”

This statement causes me to seriously question the integrity of the White House’s reports. How can it be that a man with more wealth and power than most Americans and the ability to evade our searches for six years is really just hanging out in a cave all day? It seems to me that what bin Laden wants us to believe is exactly what the Bush administration thinks to be true.

Although it is obvious to me that Osama bin Laden released these tapes as propaganda to remind Americans of his presence, it is also clear to me that the Bush Administration is trying to push their own agenda in response to the videos. By claiming bin Laden to be “impotent,” they are using this video to mislead Americans into a false sense of security, even though the imminent danger of terrorism exists now more than ever because of Bush’s actions.

As of late, if you were to bring up the president in a discussion you would find that many Americans disapprove of the decisions he has made. At the same time, Osama bin Laden presents many good arguments against the president and many of his reasons for disapproving of Bush are similar to those of anti-Bush Americans. Would it be wrong to assume that there is some kind of connection between feelings of the American people and those of Osama bin Laden? As I would love to make this connection, I ultimately cannot because of the actions of our president. If I were to say I agree with bin Laden, that would mean that I agree with a terrorist; under the Patriot Act, I could be labeled a potential terrorist and my phone could be tapped, and every move I make could be watched and analyzed.

In finding myself in this predicament, I questioned myself as to who the lesser evil actually is. I ask, “Who has done more damage to the lives of the American people?” Personally, I worry more about the next bad decision Bush is going to make than I worry about a potential Osama bin Laden organized terrorist attack.

One thing I have realized from these videos is that while Osama bin Laden remains free, Americans are slowly becoming bound by the decisions of the president to remove and restrict the rights given to us by our knowledgeable forefathers, without whom we would not be here. I can only hope that Americans will open their eyes and see what is in front of them, in order to prevent things from getting out of hand any further.

http://clubs.ccsu.edu/recorder/editorial/editorial_item.asp?NewsID=280

I agree wholeheartedly Spring. I'm quite sure Osama isn't hiding out in any caves. I'm sure Bush or whoever has him ensconced somewhere nice and safe and cozy. Bush is definitely the bigger threat. Uh, Oh the Fed's are at my door. They're coming to get me!!

I agree with you MID. You tickeled me with that.

Thankfully the fed's are gone, whew! I sicked my dogs on them. They knocked them down and licked their faces until they just couldn't take any more, they were begging for mercy! they said I couldn't possibly be a threat. he, he

MID keep those feds away! They are lurking everywhere. Pet the puppies for me too!