Posted on 01/21/2006 5:18:21 PM PST by FairOpinion
The former chief of the CIA’s Osama bin Laden unit says bin Laden’s “truce” offer comes from a long-established Muslim tradition of warfare -- sending a clear signal to the United States that an al Qaeda attack is more than likely.
Twenty-two-year CIA veteran Michael Scheuer, who wrote “Imperial Hubris: Why the West Is Losing the War on Terror,” says bin Laden has offered his final warning before launching his next strike.
“Warning your enemy before you attack him is very much a tradition in Islam from the prophet to the times when Saladin was fighting the Crusaders, he would warn them, he would offer them a truce, he would try to go the extra mile before attacking him,” Scheuer said on “The O’Reilly Factor” Thursday.
“So I think it's very important that we understand the context in which bin Laden is speaking,” Scheuer continued, “because I've heard other people today already saying that he's offering a truce because it's a sign of weakness, because we're beating him. And I think that's pretty far from the truth.”
Following Al-Jazeera’s disclosure of the tape yesterday, several bin Laden experts -- including journalist Richard Miniter on Human Events Online -- dismissed bin Laden’s latest message as nothing more than a bid to reassert himself as the world’s preeminent terrorist.
I asked two experts on the Middle East and Islam their thoughts about Scheuer’s assertion. They cited historical parallels to Scheuer’s contention.
Robert Spencer, director of Jihad Watch and author of “The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (and the Crusades),” told me: “Traditional Islamic theology actually does support the idea that Osama was asking for a truce because he perceives weakness in his ranks.”
Spencer pointed me to a passage (below) from “Umdat al-Salik (Reliance of the Traveller),” a Shafi'i Sharia manual endorsed by Al-Azhar University in Cairo as conforming to the "practice and faith of the orthodox Sunni community." Here’s what it says:
“Truces are permissible, not obligatory. ... Interests that justify making a truce are such things as Muslim weakness because of lack of numbers or materiel, or the hope of an enemy becoming Muslim. ... If the Muslims are weak, a truce may be made for ten years if necessary, for the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace) made a truce with the Quraysh for that long, as is related by Abu Dawud. ... The rulings of such a truce are inferable from those of the non-Muslim poll tax; namely, that when a valid truce has been effected, no harm may be done to non-Muslims until it expires.”
A second scholar, Daniel Pipes, director of the Middle East Forum, told me: “Bin Ladin has a history of making threats he did not carry out -- for example, versus Israel after the execution of Ahmed Yassin. It is more useful to see his tape as an attempt to stay relevant than in the tradition of Muslim warfare.”
That's actually a Chinese tradition/observation.
It's a no-brainer Osama. We DO NOT negotiate with terrorists. We kill them.
Bookmark.
You're welcome RR.
OPINION: I am not any more or any less concerned with the terrorist threats. AQ is weakened, but jihadis, like gang bangers, like any terrorist by any name; will take the opportunity to do their evil deeds if they are prepared and if the opportunity presents itself.
Prayer is powerful and that's where my comfort comes from.
He has never offered a truce before. He is just rattled from his number 2 guy getting taken out and how the CIA was able to learn of the meeting on the afghan border. He is scared now and talking like a scared man.
bump
Scheur is a rat hack moron.
He hasn't gotten the memo that the CIA had better watch its back because the kind of partisan crap that he and his fellow weasels were engaged in won't be tolerated.
I would submit that it is an exercise in futility to attempt to apply rules of logic to bin Laden.
It would however be useful to aply MOABs to him!
"Funny I don't recall that he offered a truce prior to 9-11."
Or before they attacked the Cole or the embassies in Africa or the WTC the first time.
I guess time will tell, whether the CIA guy finally gets one right.
Osama can either hide or he can orchestrate guerilla warfare, but not both. All he's done since 9/11 is hide and turn out some bad videos/communiques.
If he were to start running things, he would soon be a dead duck.
And if they answer, shoot some more until they don't answer any more.
I don't recall any "truce" being offered Israel anytime during my lifetime other than when the muslims were getting their a$$e$ pushed all over the skating rink of battle.
I don't recall any "truce" being offered before 9/11!
I don't recall any "truces" being offered against most if not all of the other terrorist attacks over say, oh, I don't know, the last 30 years or so.
Could be me!
This whole "the muslims always offer a truce thing" seems quite a bit empathetic to muslims if you ask me.
Perhaps the truce we counteroffer will have the name "Fat Boy II" inscribed on it.
Pardon me, make that "Fat Man II."
I think he and about 12 million New Yorkers should get together and talk about it.
The result may have already taken place. In the second world war the Germans sent agents here to attack ALCOA in Tenn. With a large budget and spare time they started to enjoy America. Jook joints and bars etc. One of them ratted and the whole crew went down.
I was surprised 9-11 went down with the lunatics here for over a year. I understand a desperate man taking desperate measures and rationalizing it. Taking someone from the Middle East and dropping them here for a year with a budget? Can you say kid in a candyshop? I would not be surprised if some of these people are living here now in freedom and perhaps they like it.
First attack was Ramzi Yousef. Totally different cell. He is safely doing time in Denver. Ironicly I work with a salesman named Ramzi Yousef....
Kill him. Then try and find someone who had bigger balls, yet small enough not to take on the Emperor (Satan) himself.
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