Why isn't this guy dead yet?

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/01/19/binlad ... index.html

(CNN) -- An audiotaped message purported to be from al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden warns that plans for terror attacks in the United States are under way -- and also offers a "long-term truce."

" ... The war against America and its allies will not be confined to Iraq," the man's voice said, adding that "Iraq has become a magnet for attracting and training talented fighters."

"It's only a matter of time," the voice said, referring to attacks. "They are in the planning stages, and you will see them in the heart of your land as soon as the planning is complete."

The message also opened the door to a "solution."

"In response to the substance of the polls in the U.S., which indicate that Americans do not want to fight Muslims on Muslim land, nor do they want Muslims to fight them on their land, we do not mind offering a long-term truce based on just conditions that we will stick to.

"We are a nation that God banned from lying and stabbing others in the back. Hence, both parties of the truce will enjoy stability and security to rebuild Iraq and Afghanistan, which were destroyed by war.

"There is no problem in this solution, but it will prevent hundreds of billions from going to influential people and warlords in America -- those who supported Bush's electoral campaign. And from this, we can understand Bush and his gang's insistence on continuing the war," the voice said.

CNN could not immediately confirm that the voice on the poor-quality audiotape, which was aired on Arabic-language network Al-Jazeera on Thursday, was that of bin Laden. However, CNN's Senior Editor for Arab Affairs Octavia Nasr said it does sound like the al Qaeda leader.

The CIA is in the process of determining the authenticity of the tape, according to an intelligence official.

On the tape, the speaker said, "Our mujahedeen were able to overcome all the security measures in European countries, and you saw their operation in major European capitals. (Watch for clues about when the speaker recorded the message -- 3:26)

FBI, counterterrorism and intelligence officials say there's been no increase in so-called "chatter," or monitored communications, and no intelligence suggests any terrorist plan is operational or ready to be put in place in the United States.

There is no way to determine when the message was recorded, but the reference to attacks in European cities could indicate it was recorded after the July 7 bombings on London's transportation system. The morning rush-hour attacks on three subways and a double-decker bus killed at least 52 people.

Another clue includes a reference to a secret Downing Street memo, first reported in the British newspaper, The Mirror, on November 22.

"Recently documents appeared that the freedom butcher of the world was planning to bomb the headquarters of the satellite television Al-Jazeera in Qatar ..." the voice said, according to a transcript on Al-Jazeera's Web site.

In the memo, President Bush allegedly discussed such a plan.

Broadcast portions of the tape did not, however, mention the CIA strike on a home in Damadola, Pakistan, last Friday. The CIA had targeted senior al Qaeda members, who were expected to attend a dinner, and it is not clear if any were among the 18 people who were killed.

If the voice on the tape is determined to be that of bin Laden, it would be the first message from the al Qaeda leader since he released two audiotaped messages in December 2004.

The first of those messages mentioned the attack on the U.S. Consul offices in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, earlier that month that left five people dead. In the second message, bin Laden anointed terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi as his deputy in Iraq.

The last videotaped message from bin Laden was seen just before the U.S. presidential election in 2004.

Reference to U.S. opinion polls

In the audiotape released released Thursday, the speaker cited U.S. opinion polls, saying that most Americans want U.S. troops pulled out of Iraq.

"Your President Bush has been misleading you. He has lied when he said that the people are behind him. Opinion polls have indicated that the overwhelming majority of you want him to pull the troops out of our land.

"We have the answer to these misleading information. The situation in Iraq is getting worse for you and the dead and the injured among you is on the rise," the voice on the tape said.

It's not clear exactly which polls he's referring to, but CNN/USA Today/Gallup polls released January 11 showed that 53 percent of those questioned felt things were going badly for the United States in Iraq, and 46 percent thought things were going well.

I think he's been dead (or at least found and isolated) for years now. I have nothing to back that up, and could be totally wrong. I just don't see how 4.5 years later, he's still 'out there'. The world isn't that huge.

This is probably another terrorists with a name that won't scare us into acting like fools.

Sheer incompetence is the reason Bin Laden hasn't been found. If they had been holding him somewhere, I'm sure they would've gone public with some big heroic story about capturing him the past few months, given how bad Bush has needed some good PR.

This is a job for Jack Bauer

What a cunt

Why would they go public? I think that's the dumbest thing they could do. The only face associated with this "War on Terror" is Bin Laden's. With Saddam and Bin Laden gone, there's nobody to focus on.

Sort of like the Dread Pirate Roberts?







This guy is actually a threat.

I agree, but he wouldn't fall into the "War on Terror". Then again, GW did a good job convincing America that Iraq should be part of it (My fellow Americans really make me wonder sometimes). I highly doubt this country would support another full invasion of a middle eastern country though.

You are saying that Bush would not announce that Bin Laden has been captured, man, Bush would tar and feather himself if that would give him the chance to stand in front of the television and announce to the US that, under his watch, America was able to capture this man.

He would not. They learned from when the disclosed the capture of that Al Qaeda computer guru and suddenly all the leads dried up. They won't make that mistake again, not matter how much publicity it would generate. They would at least wait till the 2008 election.

The other reason they will never admit to having caught Bin Laden is because they need all the US-based companies to make a profit from the contracts they have in Iraq. Even though the media has publicized the scandalous HalliBurton contract, I'm sure that there are others that have deeper ties to the administration (which I'm sure will take years to surface), and must take advantage of the "developing nation" situation.

Also, since there is an oil crisis with the lack of economic structure in Iraq, we and the rest of the world are forced to use other oil sources (the majority of which are probably from Saudi Arabia). The administration has proven personal/business ties to the Saudis and therefore is probably profitting from the severe oil price hike....

In the end its all about the $$.

Nah. If bin Laden were captured, all of al Qaeda would know about it within a few days whether we told the world or not. If we had him, we'd announce it. We're not talking about some computer operative here, we're talking about the spiritual leader. He won't be giving up any leads, and the chaos his capture would create within al Qaeda would be the best thing that could happen from our perspective.

I'm failing to see the connection here.

I agree with this, but I don't think GW cares whether Al Qaeda knows. It's whether the American public knows. How does he continue to drum up support for the War on Terror with our two 'biggest enemies' disposed of? So long as Bin Laden is supposedly out there, there is a focal point to all this.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/01/19/binlad ... index.html[url]

Looks like the tape may actually be authentic. There goes the speculation that we already caught him.

Is it me, or does the guy between Kim Jong-Il and Khadafi have a Hilter mustache?

If al Qaeda knew, the American people would know. Our press is still free, and this would be a good story. For bin Laden to be in custody and the world not know, the number of people who DID know would have to be VERY small, and that means nobody outside of the US Govt.