"Osama Bin Laden wants a vote, so beware a late October suprise"

[villager]

Osama Bin Laden wants a vote, so beware a late October suprise

BY WILLIAM BRATTON & R.P. EDDY

Will Osama Bin Laden have anything to say about the U.S. presidential race? Does our economic implosion make us an even more tempting target?

Al Qaeda has a history of trying to influence elections, most notably with the 2004 train attacks in Madrid. Just three days before Spain's prime ministerial elections, 10 bombs left 191 dead- and Al Qaeda affiliates swung the election away from the incumbent, who supported the coalition wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and toward the challenger, a vociferous critic of U.S. foreign policy.

Seven months later, Bin Laden attempted to disrupt the presidential race between George W. Bush and John Kerry. His videotaped statement, released just days before the elections, seemed to support Kerry - driving some voters toward Bush. According to 2006 reporting by Ron Suskind, CIA analysts concluded that Bin Laden knew that voters would react in this way and his message was "clearly designed to assist the President's reelection."

If Bin Laden wants to engineer a late-October surprise in 2008, an attack on a significant American economic target may be one of the most tempting opportunities he has had in recent years. One of his goals on 9/11 was to undermine our markets; he has bragged of what he calls the "success of the bleed-until-bankruptcy plan." Given our current financial turmoil, Bin Laden may believe that a strike against the U.S.could push our economy over the edge.

<snip>

Bin Laden is likely to believe that a President John McCain - who has jokingly sung of bombing Iran and who championed the troop surge in Iraq - is more likely to engender Muslim anger and resentment than would his opponent. Indeed, international polls, including those in Muslim countries, show striking support for Barack Obama.

Put simply: Bin Laden probably realizes it could become markedly more difficult to paint the United States as the "Great Satan" with a new President who is admired internationally. The remaining 14 days before the elections should be seen as a time of high threat, and state and local police should be on high alert. With so much at stake in these elections, Bin Laden will probably attempt to make his opinion count.

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2008/10/21/2008-10-21_osama_bin_laden_wants_a_vote_so_beware_a-2.html

[aquart]

1. Or he's still dead.

[villager]

3. There's that...

n/t

[rosesaylavee]

5. Who will play him on the video this time?

The cave's last tape was really much poorer quality than previous. I hope they get a better producer. Not to mention the story line is getting old.

[Soup Bean]

2. The WORST thing for "Bin Laden" would be an Obama Presidency.

Our current foreign policy has done wonder for Islamic Extremism. That group won't get near as many recruits if our bellicosity is turned down a notch or two. Pre-emptive war has made rich people even richer, and poor souls have paid for it. I'm for a strong DEFENSE, not blowing up countries at will and giving big contracts to small groups to rebuild them. WHAT A RACKET.

[villager]

4. absolutely -- they live in terror of a GOP rout...

n/t

[bemildred]

6. Now who is wearing the tin-foil hat? nt