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This is the edited version of Laden's statement. I received this from another list. http://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/08/international/08LADE.html Reuters/NY Times give the start of Laden's statement as follows: Following is the text of a videotaped statement made by Saudi-born dissident Osama bin Laden and broadcast on Qatar-based al-Jazeera television on Sunday: "Here is America struck by God Almighty in one of its vital organs, so that its greatest buildings are destroyed. Grace and gratitude to God. America has been filled with horror from north to south and east to west, and thanks be to God that what America is tasting now is only a copy of we have tasted. http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/south_asia/newsid_1585000/1585636.stm BBC gives the translation of "full text" as follows with lot of preamble and then picking up where the above NY Times statement starts -- Praise be to God and we beseech Him for help and forgiveness. We seek refuge with the Lord of our bad and evildoing. He whom God guides is rightly guided but he whom God leaves to stray, for him wilt thou find no protector to lead him to the right way. I witness that there is no God but God and Mohammed is His slave and Prophet. God Almighty hit the United States at its most vulnerable spot. He destroyed its greatest buildings. -- BBC is even more insiduous as it *deliberately* skips two paragraphs. What they both did not pickup, just before the last paragraph above, is this translation distributed by AP also available on ABC News http://abcnews.go.com/sections/world/DailyNews/strike_binladentrans011007.html ) --- [start of missing text] Let the whole world know that we shall never accept that the tragedy of Andalucia would be repeated in Palestine. We cannot accept that Palestine will become Jewish. And with regard to you, Muslims, this is the day of question. This is a new (inaudible) against you, all against the Muslims and Medina. So be like the followers of the Prophet, peace be with him, and all countrymen, lovers of God and the Prophet within, and a new battle, great battle, similar to the great battles of Islam, like the conqueror of Jerusalem. So, hurry up to the dignity of life and the eternity of death. I bear witness that there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad is his messenger. [end of missing text] There is America, hit by God in one of its softest spots. Its greatest buildings were destroyed, thank God for that. There is America, full of fear from its north to its south, from its west to its east. Thank God for that. --- At a time when we are being told that we must "understand" Islam/Arabs it is interesting that the information that will allow us to make these decisions is being censored by liberal media.

I guess Bin Laden forgot to actualy read about his prophet Muhammad.

Read this link and note this quote:" Temperamentally Muhammad was not inclined to war; he had not once handled the sword in actual fighting up to the fifty-fifth year of his age, and this in a country where, owing to constant internecine warfare, fighting had become a vocation of the people. The religion which he preached, Islam (lit. peace or submission), was a religion of peace, laying stress on prayer to God and the service of humanity, and he was required to preach this religion; to deliver the message, not to enforce it on others:
and this
"Permission to fight is given to those upon whom war is made; because they are oppressed, and Allah is well able to help them.
But, :
"And if they incline to peace, do thou also incline to it and trust in Allah; He is the Hearing, the Knowing. And if they intend to deceive thee, then surely Allah is sufficient for thee.

Read it Here