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Duke Professor Edits Bin Laden's Collected Writings
WRAL-TV ^ | November 10, 2005

Posted on 11/10/2005 4:48:02 PM PST by NCjim

Western society misunderstands Osama bin Laden because only "scraps and sound bites" have portrayed him in the past, says a Duke University professor who has compiled and edited the al-Qaida leader's writings.

Some of bin Laden's letters have been inaccessible, and previous English translations of them from Arabic have been flawed, said Bruce Lawrence, a religion professor and authority on Islam and medieval religion.

But the picture that comes out of the comprehensive and annotated collection of bin Laden's writings, "Messages to the World: The Statements of Osama bin Laden," shows the terrorist chieftain has considerable talent to challenge the beliefs of others, Lawrence said.

Bin Laden's work "makes clear this guy is a sophisticated, cool customer. He's not just a crazed religious fanatic," Lawrence said.

His skill at literary argument shows up partly in bin Laden's skillful twisting of the Quran to support his form of radical Islam, Lawrence said.

"For bin Laden, it's all about religion, and it's geopolitics wrapped in religion," he said.

Bin Laden refers to the Palestine-Israel conflict often, usually in the context of a U.S.-led attack on the world's Muslims, Lawrence said. Another regular theme is what bin Laden calls atrocities committed by the Christian West against Iraq.

"What's really fascinating when you read all these letters together is, it shows how obsessed bin Laden has been about Iraq," Lawrence said. However, Bin Laden "completely ignored Saddam Hussein," mentioning him perhaps twice in letters, Lawrence said.

The edition, published by Verso Books, is due to reach stores next week. Lawrence said he has been surprised by the stir it already has generated. One newspaper likened the book to publishing Charles Manson's song lyrics, Lawrence said.

But friends in the Marine Corps and State Department regard the work as valuable, he said.

(Excerpt) Read more at wral.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: bookreview; brucelawrence; duke; dukeu; highereducation; obl; radicalislam
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To: dhs12345

This little fact ought to be important in the current political blizzard of polemics coming from the Left.


21 posted on 11/10/2005 5:18:59 PM PST by RightWhale (Repeal the law of the excluded middle)
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To: NCjim
A Lefty defense of Osama Bin Laden. Its DU-espicable. These people wouldn't find merit in Mein Kampf but they're gushing with praise for Bin Laden's writings. One can guess why. He hates America with as much fervor as they do.

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie.Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")

22 posted on 11/10/2005 5:20:04 PM PST by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives On In My Heart Forever)
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To: LauraleeBraswell
"The difference is, this guy's a terrorist, and he's done horrible things, and he's public enemy No. 1 for good reasons," Lawrence said. "But can we win the war of hearts and minds without understanding what we're fighting?"


After reading Maos little book and digging into history(it was current events back in the olden days)that quote is also appropriate for the chairman. It would be interesting to read the book on OBL, no doubt there
23 posted on 11/10/2005 5:22:11 PM PST by crazyhorse691 (Diplomacy doesn't work when seagulls rain on your parade. A shotgun and umbrella does.)
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To: goldstategop


For God sakes read the article

"""The difference is, this guy's a terrorist, and he's done horrible things, and he's public enemy No. 1 for good reasons," Lawrence said. "But can we win the war of hearts and minds without understanding what we're fighting?"""


24 posted on 11/10/2005 5:23:40 PM PST by LauraleeBraswell
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To: NCjim

Know your enemy Bump


25 posted on 11/10/2005 5:28:03 PM PST by kanawa
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To: LauraleeBraswell
Yes, I read the article.

No, this book won't "help us to know our enemy better".

WHY? Because a compilation of OBL's speeches are flowery, changeable, and unlike MEIN KAMPH, or even THE PRINCE, what we learn from them is that Islam is the ONLY religion, all infidels must be crushed, it's time that Muslims spit on the West because it is the West who is responsible for "keeping all Muslims down", and that Muslim must and shall take over the world. That's the cliff's notes of ALL of his speeches.

I take it that you haven't ever read and/or heard the translations of dear old OBL. :-)

Lawrence is assuming that we can "win the hearts and minds" of trained from birth terrorists. That's insane, unless we take every baby Muslim Palestinian, Pakistani, Yemeni, etc., kill their parents and the rest of the adults, and raise in some other religion! Oh yes, and forbid the teaching ( brain washing ) of anyone, anywhere, in Whahabbism, NOI, and every other offshoot, fringe "black Muslim" American made-up Islamic cult.

26 posted on 11/10/2005 5:29:06 PM PST by nopardons
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To: crazyhorse691


We need to understand who Osama is and what he is about. These people aren't detonating bombs on impulse... they are sophisticated killers.

We need to know what drives them. Osama doesn't wake up in the morning and say to himself "I think I'm going to do something really evil today because I'm an evil human being." And terrorists don't blow themselves up or fly planes into buildings full of innocent people for nothing. We need to know our enemy and know his mindset...to understand how he works and how to stop him.


27 posted on 11/10/2005 5:33:04 PM PST by LauraleeBraswell
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To: NCjim

Since the FBI keeps transferring in officers with zero experience in the ME, books like this will serve as a primer.

The rest of us already know all about this killer socio-path monster.


28 posted on 11/10/2005 5:34:24 PM PST by Wiseghy (Discontent is the want of self-reliance: it is infirmity of will. – Ralph Waldo Emerson)
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To: nopardons


""Lawrence is assuming that we can "win the hearts and minds" of trained from birth terrorists. That's insane"

Rush Limbaugh has said we can. And President Bush believes we can. That's why we're still in Iraq, that's what our men our fighting and dying for. Of course we could stand back and nuke them, instead we're building schools and bringing Democracy to the people of Iraq.

Our men are not dying for nothing.


29 posted on 11/10/2005 5:37:32 PM PST by LauraleeBraswell
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To: nopardons


""I take it that you haven't ever read and/or heard the translations of dear old OBL. :-)""

""Some of bin Laden's letters have been inaccessible, and previous English translations of them from Arabic have been flawed, said Bruce Lawrence. ""


30 posted on 11/10/2005 5:40:53 PM PST by LauraleeBraswell
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To: nopardons
That's insane, unless we take every baby Muslim Palestinian, Pakistani, Yemeni, etc., kill their parents and the rest of the adults, and raise in some other religion! Oh yes, and forbid the teaching ( brain washing ) of anyone, anywhere, in Whahabbism, NOI, and every other offshoot, fringe "black Muslim" American made-up Islamic cult.

Wow, you're all wound up tonight! That's it, no more watching "Clockwork Orange" for you.:)

31 posted on 11/10/2005 5:42:32 PM PST by xJones
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To: LauraleeBraswell
Trust me...Rush doesn't know everything; heck, he really doesn't know nor understand a whole lot of things!

Making Iraq and Afghanistan democracies shows the rest of that part of the world, that they have a chance; a future. The president is hoping that by example, these nations will be a guiding light to the rest of the Muslim world. That doesn't mean that it can or will eradicate fanatical Islamonazieism by any means.

You really don't understand any of this; least of all the article of this thread and my post.

32 posted on 11/10/2005 5:50:47 PM PST by nopardons
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To: LauraleeBraswell
Read his book then and get back to us all with your way to win the war and capture OBL. LOL

Do you REALLY think that the president doesn't access to complete and good translation of OBL's speeches and writings?

33 posted on 11/10/2005 5:53:21 PM PST by nopardons
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To: xJones

LOL...haven't seen that movie in many decades and I am far from being "wound up". :-)


34 posted on 11/10/2005 5:54:24 PM PST by nopardons
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To: LauraleeBraswell
For God sakes read the article

I have a problem with

However, Bin Laden "completely ignored Saddam Hussein," mentioning him perhaps twice in letters, Lawrence said.

is at best disingenous and at worst agenda-driven. Because we know that Osama didn't ignore Saddam. Just the opposite.

35 posted on 11/10/2005 5:55:27 PM PST by denydenydeny ("As a Muslim of course I am a terrorist"--Sheikh Omar Brooks, quoted in the London Times 8/7/05)
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To: LauraleeBraswell

Good grief..we know of that already!


36 posted on 11/10/2005 5:55:40 PM PST by nopardons
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To: denydenydeny
"is at best disingenous and at worst agenda-driven. Because we know that Osama didn't ignore Saddam. Just the opposite."

"What's really fascinating when you read all these letters together is, it shows how obsessed bin Laden has been about Iraq," Lawrence said. However, Bin Laden "completely ignored Saddam Hussein," mentioning him perhaps twice in letters, Lawrence said.

Lawrence is referring to the letters only. Apparently Osama wrote very little about Saddam, for whatever reasons. Lawrence was translating just his letters, and not using 2003 reports from Iraq.

37 posted on 11/10/2005 6:07:54 PM PST by xJones
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To: NCjim

My tax dollars at work ?


38 posted on 11/10/2005 6:18:06 PM PST by ChadGore (VISUALIZE 62,041,268 Bush fans.)
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To: NCjim

Makes President Bush's genius in invading Iraq even more evident...........


39 posted on 11/10/2005 6:36:46 PM PST by yldstrk (My heros have always been cowboys-Reagan and Bush)
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To: goldstategop

Actaully..they DO find merit in mien kamph......they use it to bach christains by claiming Hitler was just a good ole christian...and what you end up with when a christain comes to power....is nazis...

I've witnessed the arguement in play...


40 posted on 11/10/2005 6:40:37 PM PST by Crim (I may be a Mr "know it all"....but I'm also a Mr "forgot most of it"...)
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