Posted on 01/19/2006 8:49:06 AM PST by snowrip
Bin Laden Offers Truce in Purported Tape Terrorist Leader Threatens New Attacks Against U.S. By Yara Bayoumy, Reuters
DUBAI (Jan. 19) -- Osama bin Laden warned that al-Qaida was preparing new attacks inside the United States, but said the group was open to a conditional truce with Americans, according to an audiotape attributed to him on Thursday.
Al Jazeera television, which aired the tape, said it was recorded in the Muslim month that corresponded to December.
"The operations are under preparation and you will see them in your houses as soon as they are complete, God willing," said the speaker on the audiotape, who sounded like bin Laden .
In the tape, broadcast by al Jazeera television, bin Laden said al-Qaida was willing to respond to the fact that public U.S. opinion favored withdrawing troops from Iraq.
"We have no objection to responding to this with a long-term truce based on fair conditions," he said.
Bin Laden issued an audiotape in April 2004 in which he also offered a truce -- on that occasion to Europe, but not to the United States. Bin Laden Messages, Past and Present
AFP/Getty "The operations are under preparation and you will see them in your houses as soon as they are complete, God willing." -- Audiotape, purportedly by Osama bin Laden, aired by Al-Jazeera Jan. 19
Timeline: Bin Laden's Messages
Analysts saw the move at the time as an attempt to drive a wedge between the United States and its allies and to scare wavering coalition members out of Iraq.
In the brief segments aired on Thursday, bin Laden ridiculed President Bush for misreading public opinion which he said showed Americans wanted U.S. forces to quit Iraq.
He also said Iraq had become a recruiting ground for militants. Al-Qaida in Iraq, led by one of bin Laden 's deputies, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, is one of several insurgent groups fighting U.S. and foreign forces. U.S. and Iraqi officials say many of their members are non-Iraqis.
"Your president is misinterpreting public opinion polls which show that the vast majority of you support the withdrawal of your forces from Iraq," bin Laden said.
"He (Bush) disagreed with this desire and said the withdrawal of troops will give the wrong message to the enemy and that it is better to fight them on their ground than on our ground."
"Reality shows that the war against the U.S. and its allies is not just restricted to Iraq as he claims, but Iraq has become a gravitational point and a recruiting ground for qualified (mujahideen)."
A U.S. counterterrorism official said U.S. intelligence was assessing the tape to determine its authenticity.
Bin Laden 's last audiotape was in December 2004. The interval between then and now is his longest public silence since al-Qaida's September 11 attacks on the United States in 2001.
Saudi-born bin Laden and his right-hand man, Ayman al-Zawahri, are believed to be hiding in a mountainous area on the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
On Thursday, Pakistani intelligence sources said four top al-Qaida militants were believed to have been killed in a U.S. airstrike last week which U.S. officials say was aimed at Zawahri.
I am going to go with FrankenKerry.
okay! we give!!! just kidding. hey, what's that whistling sound overhead????
Sure, guy, just present yourself to our military, and we'll talk "truce".
Bring it on.
Amazing picture. Saw one do a fly-by at an air show a few years back. They are not what you'd call highly visible.
"The operations are under preparation and you will see them IN YOU HOUSES as soon as they are complete, God willing."
This just means he understands the power of the media.
I remember when President Bush announced to the country concerning the War on Terror, that there will be things being done that we will never hear about and I'm am confident that is the case.
I can point to one thing that I have noticed and some of you may have seen too. I live in the Charleston, SC area and am a member of Sam's Club. Before the War on Terror there were members who were of middle eastern descent, they obviously were buying stock for these little stores they owned (usually in black neighborhoods). I have heard that this was a source of income for terrorists.
Since the War on Terror, I have noticed that these members have disappeared. IMO, this is a direct effect of actions taken by Homeland Security to eliminate any source of income, in our country, for the terrorists. I'm positive that there are many more actions taken by this administration to protect the public,,,many that we will never know about.
Everybody knows that Islam's historic method for advancing in the world is to offer truce when strategically necessary, only to attack later. America is 100% moronic if it accepts any truce with this proven enemy and his movement.
"Osama excerpt: You would be well advised to quit! It is pure folly. You cannot defeat me! Don't leave! Come back!"
The war to date, ala' Monty Python:
"I've cut your arm off!"
"No you haven't!"
"Look!"
"That's just a scratch! Have at you!"
The latest Osama tape, also ala' Python:
"All right, we'll call it a draw... Come back here! I'll bite your legs off!"
Just think, if only Hillary were President she would gladly sign that truce agreement and end this greedy, immoral war for oil. Peace in our time, Peace in our time! (think Neville Chamberlain)
Well, maybe that's why he acts when he does, or another alternative...maybe Osama's watching "24" on TV.
Wasn't that the plot of the season opener...the terrorists wanted the President to negotiate with them and not sign an anti-terror bill.
(end/sarcasm)
"This just means he understands the power of the media."
I agree.
Yea , I was thinking the SAME thing..The Dems will be willing as can be to work out a deal with OBL. Maybe Cindy Shehan can do the talking for the US .
Truce? "NUTS!"
This is great!
I know we will get Intel from this. And I agree with others that this comes right after that major missle strike.
They are getting desperate.
They are gambling that this message will further embolden their ideological 'brothers', the Democrates, into keep pressing their attach which could now be shown to cease hostilities if Iraq is abandoned. I don't see it as a sign of his giving up; I see it as a sign of us needing to "twist a lot more ball sacks" until one of the little $hits spills where this POS really is and we go all out after his ass and nuke him to Allah.....
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