Purported Bin Laden Tape Offers Truce to Europe-TV

Yahoo ^ | 4/14/2004 | Ghaida Ghantous

[John Lenin]

Purported Bin Laden Tape Offers Truce to Europe-TV

By Ghaida Ghantous

DUBAI (Reuters) - Arab television stations aired a new audio tape purportedly from Osama bin Laden (news - web sites) on Thursday offering a truce with European states if they stop attacking Muslims, but not with the United States.

"I offer a truce to them (Europe) with a commitment to stop operations against any state which vows to stop attacking Muslims or interfere in their affairs... The announcement of the truce starts with the withdrawal of the last soldier from our land and the door is open for three months from the date of the announcement of this statement," the voice said.

The voice on the tape, broadcast by Dubai-based Al Arabiya channel and then by Qatar-based Al Jazeera station, said there would be no truce with the United States.

"President (George W.) Bush and leaders in his sphere, big media institutions, and the United Nations (news - web sites).. all of them are a fatal danger to the world, and the Zionist lobby is their most dangerous and difficult member, and we insist, God willing, on continuing to fight them," the man said.

The taped message also vowed revenge on Israel and the United States for the death of Hamas leader Ahmed Yassin, killed last month in Gaza.

It was not immediately possible to verify the authenticity of the tape, though the voice sounded like previous tapes thought to be genuine. The CIA (news - web sites) has said some previous tapes purportedly from bin Laden were likely to be genuine.

Bin Laden's al Qaeda network is blamed by Washington for the September 11, 2001, attacks on U.S. cities.

The tape said the March 11 train bombings in Madrid that killed 191 people were payment for Spain's actions in Iraq (news - web sites), Afghanistan (news - web sites) and "Palestine."

"What happened on September 11 and March 11 are your goods returned to you so that you know security is a necessity for all," the voice on the tape said.

Madrid sent troops to Iraq after Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) was toppled and also has a contingent in Afghanistan. Militants claiming links to al Qaeda have claimed responsibility for the Madrid bombings, which have raised pressure on the government to withdraw Spanish troops from Iraq.

[Sunnyvale CA Eng.]

Several have preemptively surrendered..

Indeed. If they had any balls the European nations would each issue a press release saying they are kicking in another $20 million to the reward fund for his head on a stick.

[12B]

His head on a stick.

[razorback-bert]

Even Switzerland has 7 peacekeepers in Afghanistan (who knows what the heck for....)

Chasing Rolex counterfeiters?

[Cap Huff]

My reading of the statement is that the truce begins when the last soldier is out of the Muslim countries, and they have 3 months to accomplish it.

In other words, all troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan (and others) by 15 July. On Bastille day the Europeans can't say, "OK, we accept." That's not enough time to withdraw in most cases. The truce only begins when the soldiers are gone.

By the way, I am thinking the Russians got a heads up yesterday.

[oioiman]

[Cap Huff]

If anyone is interested, Angelus Errare has his initial take of this on his blog right now:

http://regnumcrucis.blogspot.com/

[swilhelm73]

"President (George W.) Bush and leaders in his sphere, big media institutions, and the United Nations (news - web sites).. all of them are a fatal danger to the world, and the Zionist lobby is their most dangerous and difficult member, and we insist, God willing, on continuing to fight them," the man said.

Well, here's your answer to why they targetted some news outlets with the anthrax attack in 2001.

The leftists in the press can't get it through their thick skulls AQ and such hate them as much as they hate Americans in general.

[Atlantic Friend]

Hey, I just hope UBL won't tell us he really is our father, and that together, we shall rule the universe !

[Bazooka]

A truce? Al-Qaeda? You've got to be PC beyond anything to fall for a trick that obvious....it nearly sounds like the beginning of a sick joke.

[tkathy]

How about every single Muslim get the _____ out of both Europe, the U.S., all Western countries, and Israel???

[Happy2BMe]

"Purported Bin Laden Tape Offers Truce to Europe-TV"

Euro-Islam Truce ping.

TRUCE FOR SPAIN

"This is a message to our neighbours north of the Mediterranean Sea with a proposal for truce in response to the positive reactions which emerged there," the man on the tape said.

He said public opinion polls in Europe showed that its people wanted peace and urged scholars, clerics and traders to form a "permanent committee to build awareness among Europeans about the justice of our causes, foremost Palestine".

"Stop shedding our blood to save your own and the solution to this simple but complex equation is in your hands. You know matters will escalate the more you delay and then do not blame us but blame yourselves. Rational people do not risk their security, money and sons to appease the White House liar."

The last purported audio tape by bin Laden was broadcast by Al Jazeera on January 4, in which the fugitive militant mentioned the arrest of Saddam by U.S. troops in December and urged Muslims to fight U.S. occupation forces in Iraq.

Another tape supposedly by bin Laden's deputy Ayman al-Zawahri, aired by Jazeera in February, warned Bush to prepare for more attacks on the United States.

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[XBob]

1 - ""President (George W.) Bush and leaders in his sphere, big media institutions, and the United Nations (news - web sites).. all of them are a fatal danger to the world, and the Zionist lobby is their most dangerous and difficult member, and we insist, God willing, on continuing to fight them," the man said. "

Interesting. If you know Arabs and Arabic, 'god willing', added like this really means that they don't mean what the statement says because it will happen only if 'God wills' it to happen.

The term god willing translates from 'enshala', so when someone says, it will be finished 'buchara' (tomorrow) 'enshala', means that it won't be ready tomorrow. Though they are saying it will be finished tomorrow god willing.

Which really means, 'only if god wills it and performs a miracle, will it be finished tomorrow. (unless god wills a bribe to drop into the speaker's hand so that god can will it to be finished tomorrow).

[Corporate Law]

I hear the sound of French rifles dropping as I type.

[Coop]

It looks like he's trying to adopt a "divide and conquer" strategy - his message is certainly going to resonate with the Euroleft. My guess is that he wants to connect with the anti-American aspects of Euro society that have come up from the sewer of late and, if not get them sympathetic towards him, at least neutralize them as a threat to his agenda.

Sniffs of desperation to me. Al Qaeda has not been able to strike the U.S. homeland since 9/11 (yet), and its cowardly terrorists are being killed and arrested in Spain, S. Arabia, Pakistan, Italy, etc. Probably trying to follow up on the Spanish electorate caving by getting Europe to back off on passionately prosecuting Al Qaeda, so the goons can again turn their attention to us.

[steveegg]

According to AFP (via kattracks), Britain, Italy, the EC President (an Italian) and Germany all rejected al-Qaida's piece offering.

[Coop]

The taped message also vowed revenge on Israel and the United States for the death of Hamas leader Ahmed Yassin, killed last month in Gaza.

Ignoring the many other connections we know about, we have here a connection between Al Qaeda and Iraq.

Okay everyone, pull out your algebra books. If a=b and b=c, then a=c.

Al Qaeda (a) wants to avenge death of Hamas (b) leader. Hamas (b) received financial support from Iraq and its infamous leader (c).

Class dismissed. :-)

[steveegg]

Got Elvis?

[SJackson]

If you'd like to be on or off this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.

Hudna time.

[Peach]

This is going to pit the appeaser leftists against the hawks.

If we thought we had enemies in Europe before...

[jslade]

He's dead Jim.