Posted on 01/04/2004 12:33:44 PM PST by areafiftyone
Al-Jazeera television is broadcasting what is said to be a new audio tape of Osama bin Laden.
It is claimed he will refer to the capture of ex-Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.
"The audiotape contains new things. It refers to the Geneva Initiative (an unofficial Israeli-Palestinian peace plan unveiled in early December) and the capture of Saddam Hussein on December 13," al-Jazeera editor Ibrahim Hilal said.
Hilal said the voice purported to be that of bin Laden will also refer to the "(US) crusade against the Islamic world."
Early translations indicated that bin Laden called on Muslims to fight Western troops in Iraq with weapons rather than dialogue.
He also condemned Gulf states which supported the invasion of Iraq.
Yes. But we messed 'em up pretty bad.
(beaming)
I would also think that many if not all of them (who didn't surrender) have been executed by Saddam loyalists (they would know too much about the inner workings of the efforts to hide Saddam and the communication network).
Has anyone done a post-capture analysis of the "Saddam videos" that Saddam released after Gulf War II: Operation Topple Saddam began? It would be interesting to know just which of those Saddam videos used fake Saddams. There was speculation at the time they were made but I haven't heard any later analysis.
It is still an interesting subject because some left wing nuts alledge that Saddam "couldn't" have grown his beard that thick while in hiding. He certainly could have if it wasn't him on every one of those videotapes.
So make it indoors. One white wall looks amazingly like another.
Sorry, I think he is either dead or very ill. The man was not in good health when last seen.
My guess is Saddam had them executed for that very reason: He couldn't afford letting a look-alike take advantage of the situation and take over. The downside of being a dictator is constant paranoia.
Especially since it would be trivial to simply put him in front of a plain white backdrop.
Mistah Osama, he daid.
Bin Ladin renews jihad call
Monday 05 January 2004, 0:25 Makka Time, 21:25 GMT
Usama bin Ladin mentions the recent capture of Saddam
In his latest recorded message, Usama bin Ladin condemns Middle Eastern governments for betraying Arab and Muslim causes and urges his coreligionists to resist the West.
In an audio message broadcast exclusively by Aljazeera late on Sunday night, the al-Qaida leader urges Muslims to continue jihad against what he described as "conspirators against Muslim nations".
He harshly criticises Arab governments for failing to resist US military and diplomatic moves in the Middle East as well as making compromises in their support of the Palestinian national cause.
Bin Ladin makes reference to the 14 November capture of ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, suggesting the recording was made quite recently.
He refers in particular to the occupation of Iraq, the US-backed "road map" for settling the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as well as the alternative Geneva peace plan between the Palestinians and the Israelis.
Arab rulers scorned
Bin Ladin harshly attacks rulers of Arabian Gulf countries and scorns their ability to repulse any possible US attack on their countries.
Al-Qaida leader calls for Arab and Muslim leaders to be overthrown
He also criticises what he describes as the persecution by certain "outlaw" regimes of their citizens.
The al-Qaida leader goes on to condemn Muslim rulers' inability to stand up to the US, criticising their compromises with reference to Palestinian cause.
He attacks what he calls their "stand against Palestinian resistance as took place at the Sharm al-Sheikh summit in 1996 (an anti-terrorism summit), and at the Beirut Arab summit (2002)".
Bin Ladin criticises certain countries for "stopping financial aid to the families of Palestinian martyrs", meaning human bombers. He also rejects the US-backed road map peace plan, which stipulates an end to armed resistance against Israeli occupation.
The al-Qaida chief also attacks the six Arab states of the Gulf Cooperation Council for welcoming members of Iraq's US-installed transitional Governing Council.
Regime change
Dismissing the economic achievements of the Arab world, bin Ladin says Spain's economy alone is much larger than that of all the Arab countries put together.
He blames the decline of Arabs and Muslims on their negligence of Islam as a system of government and state, and calls on Muslims to establish a council of wise men to rule after the overthrow of all regimes in the Arab and Muslim world.
The former mujahidin commander in Afghanistan says such a council will unify Muslims and Arab positions and raise the banner of jihad to stop what he calls the West's attacks against Muslims.
Bin Ladin also criticises moves to change educational curricula in Muslim countries, and warns of a religious and economic war by the West aimed at dominating other Gulf countries after the occupation of Iraq.
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