Bin Laden denies committing US attacks (but says he supports it)

ZDNetAsia ^ | Wednesday September 12, 1:16 PM

[HAL9000]

Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden, who is accused of masterminding the 1998 bomb attack on the US embassy in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam, has denied that he is behind Tuesday's attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

Bin Laden contacted a Pakistani newspaper on Wednesday to say that he supported the attack, but was not involved, reported the BBC.

The denial will no doubt be welcomed by the Taliban government in Afghanistan, who have been sheltering bin Laden. They have denied that bin Laden is capable of launching such a complex operation.

However, US officials had said on Tuesday that the people who conducted attacks on New York and Washington that destroyed the World Trade Center and damaged the Pentagon may have had links to Saudi exile bin Laden or his organization.

Names of suspected "terrorists" with possible ties to bin Laden's organization were found on the passenger rosters of the hijacked planes, a government source had said. Throughout Tuesday, US officials have said the massive attacks by hijackers who crashed commercial airplanes into the buildings may be linked to bin Laden. An Arab journalist with access to bin Laden told Reuters in London that the Saudi exile had spoken of an "unprecedented attack" on US interests three weeks ago. US officials, however, said they had no knowledge such an attack was coming. "There was no advance warning of this," one unidentified official said.

Asked if he believed bin Laden was responsible, Senator Richard Shelby, an Alabama Republican who is vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said: "A lot of things point to him."

"There are indications that people with links to bin Laden and the al Qaeda organization may have been responsible," an unnamed US official told Reuters. "There is reason to believe people with links to him may have been responsible for this."

US is still investigating whether the suicide bombing of the USS Cole in Yemen last year was tied to bin Laden.

But some intelligence analysts urged caution in making snap judgements about who was responsible for Tuesday's attacks, saying it could have been the work of other groups tied to the Middle East, angry over a perception that the United States supports Israel to the detriment of the Palestinians.

CNN reports that several groups, including Hamas, in the Middle East have denied responsibility.

President Bush, in the meanwhile, has said he would "make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them."

Reuters contributed to this report.

[Dark Schwa]

First off, there are some very big Chinese men. Second, I'm not speculating that Chinese carried out the attack, just that it doesn't seem like bin Laden is behind it. The MO is all wrong.

If someone could point to another case where the perpetrator of a terrorist attack denied involvement, I'm willing to learn.

And an arabic flight trining manual? They were learning to fly the plane on the way to the airport? Please.

[Alberta's Child]

Therefore, if the FOX report is accurate, than the only proper response is to tell Afghanistan, both the current government, specifically the Taliban, as well as counter-governments within Afghanistan which may have sympathy for Bin Laden, that they have two days to turn Osama Bin Laden over to the US authorities or we will declare war on Afghanistan and that their major cities and factories will undergo major air strikes and other military offensives. If the Afghan government, the Taliban, claims it is beyond their power to apprehend Bin Laden, then we strike immediately without waiting the two days.

This warning has probably been issued already. if my understanding of U.S. military protocol under these circumstances is accurate, there have been at least two dozen B-52s in the air at any given moment since the attacks began on Tuesday morning. By definition (because of their mission), this means that they are carrying enough nuclear-tipped cruise missiles to incinerate two continents.

[Dark Schwa]

Yes, but you don't leave little clues, you come out and say: "I Usama bin Laden have done this, you jackal-tongued Americans, to avenge the deaths of all the Palestinians who died in the Intafadah!"

That would be typical terrorist behavior.

[Travis McGee]

They are doing it too slowly, their monsters are still able to catch connecting flights to the USA. No more. We can cut that nation off from the world easily.

If they cannot coexist in the civilized 21st century world, let's send them straight back to the 12th, where they will not be able to get out and spread their evil poison any more.

[Robert_Paulson2]

China has been giving intel to our enemies. THEY were involved I think. This took a pseudo superpower to carry it out. Intel about plane routs, schedules, pilot training, money to set up the sting, cover for the terrorists infiltration, phony id, lots of money to set this up and prepare for WEEKS... maybe even satellite info, ADVANCE knowlege that our FEMA team managers would be in a conference out west today.. and a WHOLE host of building engineering experience as well...

China gave intel to sadam, we sent them a cruise missile as our thank you note... and have repeatedly took out their optic fiber command and control systems they sold and installed in Iraq for their little muslim whore... sadaam.

If sadaam is involved, CHINA is too. THIS is their move on TAIWAN coming to a crescendo... I THINK. WE get wrapped up in our own infrastructure problems, focus on the arabs... while they park their subs off our coast, and plan to invade Taiwan... its time folks... and China is ready and practiced up for the big show. The east coast got terrorist planes as bombs... Will the chinese test their new nukes on us here in LA or San Fran? Or Seattle and San Diego subic bases? I dunno, this stinks bigger than osami and afganistan to me.

We better be on our game, when we crystalize these pukes.

China may need a lesson too. I wonder, are we tough enough to do em both?

If Russia aligns with us, yes. If NOT no. I see very great danger. God give W and our military, and our congress the wisdom they need to do the right thing... and do it now.

[Azzurri]

They had a very clever plan they carried out. Unfortunately, for them, they left several clues that point directly to Bin Laden. And, some phone callers from the plane were able to ID the seat locations of the perpetrators. Osama, your worst nightmare is about to come true.

[Robert_Paulson2]

Its hard to climb up those mountain sides when they have been turned to ceramic at 5000 degrees or better.

[supercat]

It is UNHEARD OF to commit an act of terrorism and then deny involvement.

There is something fishy about all this. While I would not be surprised if Osama Bin Laden was behind this, I'd also not be surprised if some third party (China perhaps?) is trying to push the U.S. into war against the Middle East so that we'll weaken ourselves on that front and be unable to resist an attack from the third party.

[Rome2000]

"We want to tell the American children that Afghanistan feels your pain. We hope the courts find justice," ambassador Mullah Abdul Salam Zaeef said in a statement in Pakistan after America was hit by a series of attacks that have been called the worst since Pearl Harbor.

These morons are trying to pull a Klinton.

Unfortunately for them they don't have the lip biting thing down and they have really bad facial hair.

[Mark17]

Bin Laden denies committing US attacks (but says he supports it)

Does anyone expect him to come right out and admit it? His days are numbered. We don't want to bring him to justice. We want to bring him to death, and all his scum bag friends, and those who harbor them. We know who harbors them too. I imagine they are already looking to the sky, for a fearsome show of judgement.

[A Navy Vet]

Lie you cur. Run you cur. Tell all the other curs we're coming! And Hell's coming with us! Hell's coming with us!!!

[Ymani Cricket]

I also find it strange that he should deny it yet say he supports it. The only reason I can think of that he would do that is to "protect" Afghanistan. Whatever goo dhtat would do. Whatever the truth is its nice to see someone with a clear head about this. Lets hope our government can be clear headed in its approach. Attacking the Pentagon though?? hmm...pretty serious there. Definitely something beyond just your everyday terrorism. (i.e. Israel and the PLO)

Attacking Afghanistan wouldn't stop this widespread group. That would merely appease the anger of the American people. As if they didn't know we'd strike there?? The real war is in espionage and info. Search and destroy. The behind the scenes thankless jobs.

[rebelsoldier]

The chinks gave Bin Laden arms and weapons, weapons that the stinking filthy traitor Klinton helped hand over to the commie bastards. The Chinese sons of bitches also gave weapons to the Pakistanis, whose sheltered militant Islamic groups have claimed partial responsibility for what just happened. The next attack will be nuclear unless we totally annihilate this threat once and for all, no shit. The list of nation states in that part of the world that should be pounded flat is easy; virtually everything but Israel and Kuwait. China and North Korea are next, and then any other SOB that helps or cheers on the death of Americans.

[alaskanfan]

Maybe we could deny nuking him, but say that we would support whoever did the deed.

[zarf]

Tactical nukes this time. They've up'd the ante....so we must.

[Demidog]

Names of suspected "terrorists" with possible ties

I don't buy this. I'm sure Osama is a bad man. But I need more proof then this before I condone indiscriminate bombing.

Some guy happens to have an Arab name, and he's got ties to Bin Laden now. Where's the evidence?

Our government has utterly failed to protect us (the only mandate it's got is national defense).

We're too busy using our troops as puppets for the U.N. to bother with National Defense. Let's blame some guy who for all we know doesn't even exist in real life.

[zarf]

Tactical nukes on training camps and 2 cities in Afganistan as an example of the new rules of engagement. It's time to set the rules for this new generation of warfare.

[Mark17]

To heck with this crap, use nuclear weapons on them.

[Demidog]

Does anyone expect him to come right out and admit it?

Why wouldn't he? What fear does he have of being caught? How do you know he actually exists? The FBI says so? "Kilroy was here."

Was there ever a guy named Kilroy? Was there a real Uncle Sam?