Osama bin Laden: It's all about the voice

[donsu]

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/HA21Ak02.html

-snip-

Just a slow, composed, husky voice out of a telephone line recorded on a scratched tape (not digital; a mere cassette). No video. Just a voice - capable of sending the markets into a tailspin and the networks into hysteria, spiking the oil bourses in London and New York, resetting the global agenda, unleashing armies of US intelligence analysts scrambling to confirm if the voice is real or fake.

You had totally vanished from the face of the Earth for more than a year. You are the most wanted man in the world. You re-enter the global stage just with your voice, a mere whisper. The simplicity of it. What politician would not dream of such power?

Osama bin Laden, master media manipulator turned global politician, is back. Talk about astonishing timing. Only a few days ago in the Pakistani tribal area of Bajur a US Central Intelligence Agency drone delivered punishment from heaven toward what should have been al-Qaeda's No 2, Ayman al-Zawahiri, but turned out to be villagers, including children, and also reportedly some al-Qaeda militants.

-snip-

So, according to bin Laden, Zawahiri and al-Qaeda's "Allah bans us from lying" reasoning, they have fulfilled their duty. The enemy has been warned. This means bin Laden's threat of a renewed al-Qaeda attack inside the US is not pure imaging - or a weapon of rhetorical destruction. Then, after the fact, a tape - audio or video - will inevitably follow, florid Arabic elaborating once again that "you never listen to what we're saying"
-snip-
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and the article ends with this sad but true paragraph:

So there's no way to stop the infernal spiral. The husky voice on the tape has been, once again, unmistakable; we want a Middle East not subjected to the United States, deciding its own destiny. This is like any politician in the developing world talking about national sovereignty. But it's not going to happen. We, the damned of the Earth, seem to be condemned to "war on terror" forever.

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and a second accompying article:

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/HA21Df02.html

New al-Qaeda phase begins

-snip-

# In fact the success of the Iraqi resistance, in which al-Qaeda is a component, figured significantly in the thinking of al-Qaeda's leadership to relaunch the group as an open organization to pitch a worldwide battle against US interests. Serious debate on this new direction began in 2004, with two main issues prominent: Should al-Qaeda drop its shadowy nature and call for a jihad in the open against the United States?
# Should the "war" be exclusively against the US, or also against Muslim regimes sympathetic to the US?

These issues were later linked with two conditions:
# The acquisition of bases to launch a war in the open.
# The reorganization of sympathizers and new recruits to launch a worldwide battle.

At this time, al-Qaeda decided to defer its war against Muslim regimes until a clear-cut victory was gained in Iraq. Bin Laden has always resisted taking the fight to these countries.

-snip-

The acquisition of these bases and fresh recruits are the prime successes of al-Qaeda as it prepares to wage its new battle. Bin Laden's appearance confirms this to his followers.
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we had better stop the bloody hands, criminal bushmilhousegang --- like yesterday.

[xchrom]

1. sums it all up pretty nicely.

[stillcool]

2. I read this article and I'm impelled...

to discover the name of the writer. No surpise it's Pepe Escobar.

Careful examination of bin Laden's latest words also reveal that unlike the Bush administration spin, al-Qaeda does not want to destroy the United States or its way of life. But at the same time the US, and the Bush administration in particular, may enhance al-Qaeda's appeal as it will never waver from its two strategic imperatives - absolute security for Israel in the heart of the Arab Middle East and the obsession in taking over all of the Middle East's oil reserves.

So there's no way to stop the infernal spiral. The husky voice on the tape has been, once again, unmistakable; we want a Middle East not subjected to the United States, deciding its own destiny. This is like any politician in the developing world talking about national sovereignty. But it's not going to happen. We, the damned of the Earth, seem to be condemned to "war on terror" forever.

[MrPrax]

3. It's a fake...

so analysis of "New al-Qaeda phase begins" is pure bunk.

Here's what he supposely said
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4628932.stm

Absolutely NOTHING that is on this tape is remotely close to any 'phase' the writer summizes...nothing even close.

In fact, anyone reading it would know it was a 'fake'.

BUT if we take it seriously...what of this paragraph?

"In this truce, both parties will enjoy security and stability and we will build Iraq and Afghanistan, which were destroyed by the war.

There is no defect in this solution other than preventing the flow of hundreds of billions to the influential people and war merchants in America, who supported Bush's election campaign with billions of dollars.

Hence, we can understand the insistence of Bush and his gang to continue the war."


Sounds good right? Sounds like what critics of the war like Michale Moore might say --

In fact, Chris Matthews said just this last night:
"Matthews: I mean he sounds like an over the top Michael Moore here, if not a Michael Moore. You think that sells..." Link

(Good on Kerry for making the comment: ""You'd think the only focus tonight would be on destroying Osama Bin Laden, not comparing him to an American who opposes the war whether you like him or not. You want a real debate that America needs? Here goes: If the administration had done the job right in Tora Bora we might not be having discussions on Hardball about a new Bin Laden tape. How dare Scott McClellan tell America that this Administration puts terrorists out of business when had they put Osama Bin Laden out of business in Afghanistan when our troops wanted to, we wouldn't have to hear this barbarian's voice on tape. That's what we should be talking about in America." -- John Kerry" Link

Props to Cursor for the link roundup
http://www.cursor.org/