October 31, 2004

FULL TAPE AN OSAMA A WOE SHOW

Osama bin Laden doesn't seem nearly so cocky in the unedited version of a videotape aired on al-Jazeera, complaining that the manhunt against him has hampered al Qaeda.Osama bin Laden's newest tape may have thrust him to the forefront of the presidential election, but what was not seen was the cave-dwelling terror lord talking about the setbacks al Qaeda has faced in recent months.

Officials said that in the 18-minute long tape — of which only six minutes were aired on the al-Jazeera Arab television network in the Middle East on Friday — bin Laden bemoans the recent democratic elections in Afghanistan and the lack of violence involved with it.
[Excellent news!
But you don't suppose he's pleased with the violence and intimidation perpetrated by the Democrats here in the States, do you?
Surely it cannot be that the election in Afghanistan will be more smooth than our own!--Jen]

On the tape, bin Laden also says his terror organization has been hurt by the U.S. military's unrelenting manhunt for him and his cohorts on the Afghan-Pakistani border.
[More great news!
And we thank not only our terrific military, but that of Pervez Musharraf's Pakistani forces, as well.
One of these days very soon, Osama's luck is going to run out and he will be killed or captured, if he hasn't been killed or seriously hurt already.]

A portion of the left-out footage includes a tirade aimed at President Bush and his father, former President George H.W. Bush, claiming the war in Iraq is purely over oil.
[Hmmm.
More Democrat talking points that Osama has taken from Fahrenheit 9/11.
I do hope that Michael Moore and his good friends in the DNC are honored.
As for OBL's yapping about President Bush 41, this is apparently "new" for Osama and Osama experts find it interesting.]

The tape also sparked some concern that an attack aimed at disrupting Tuesday's election may be planned.
[Or is the threat of an attack enough to do the job, after the Madrid bombings in March?
Good Lord willing, there won't be an attack between now and Tuesday night and these threats will be seen as empty and impotent.--Jen]

But those who have seen the tape have said there was no specific information regarding an attack.

"We are taking this very seriously," said one counterterrorism official. "This is cause for great concern and we are certainly going on higher alert because of this."

The Terrorist Threat Integration Center, a joint FBI-CIA intelligence-gathering organization, has drawn up possible attack scenarios for officials to look out for — based on information gathered from communication intercepts and interviews with al Qaeda detainees.

The most extreme of those scenarios includes a multi-pronged biological- and chemical-weapons attack; more airline hijackings; assaults on financial institutions with the use of car and truck bombs and an attack similar to the Madrid subway bombing in march.
[Heads up, my fellow citizens, and be alert!
Your watchfulness may be the very thing that stops an attack!]

Many believe that the ringleader of any possible attack is Adnan Shukriagumah, a 28-year-old Saudi-born Guyanese man who grew up in South Florida.
[Poor Floridians...hurricanes, Recount 2000 and now this?
Hope they get a break and the whole thing goes smoothly all over the country, but especially in the Sunshine State.]

A $5 million reward has been offered for Shukriagumah, who has bomb- making skills, is trained to fly commercial jets and has been linked to Sept. 11 ringleader, Mohamed Atta.
[Notice that Osama mentioned Atta on this tape by name, thus definitively linking OBL, Atta and 9/11, if you had any doubts.
I've heard Dimocrats as recently as this week doubting the links between the 9/11 hijackers, Osama and AQ.]

Intelligence reports say Shukriagumah has hooked up with the El Salvadorian street gang, MS-13, which is known to be very adept at smuggling drugs and people into the United States.

As President Bush has assured us, our Border Patrol has been beefed up and is working harder than ever to stop illegals and bad guys from getting in the country, but I'm still convinced that the system needs major help and will get that after President Bush is re-elected to a second term.
Because the Media (as epitomized by Al Jazeera) has chosen not to run all of this tape, the public isn't hearing some of what they need to hear from America's biggest enemy, but the key impressions of the tape still stand:
President Bush is prosecuting the WOT effectively and "smartly" and Osama's either asking for mercy or he wants a "hudna" (Islamic ceasefire).
He implies that he would give us peace if we'd call off the war...primarily by electing Kerry on Tuesday, but don't you believe him, America!
If OBL isn't dead yet (and the intell agencies have not confirmed that it is he), then this plea to call off action against he and AQ is proof enough that we're winning the war and should press on to victory rather than let up.
Depending on how you look at it and whether you're a coward or a courageous patriot, the Osama tape was an ad for Kerry (in the case of craven cowardice) or an ad for President Bush, giving us the proof we need that we're doing everything right!
Vote to re-elect President Bush on Tuesday; if Bin Laden isn't dead yet and 25% of AQ remains uncaptured or unkilled, we still have work to do.
And for those whiners who say that this tape will help to recruit more jihadis, I repeat my contention that OBL doesn't look like the "strong horse" in this tape and there remains the indisputable fact that AQ hasn't been able to pull off a major attack in the U.S. since 9/11.
On a dark note, this means that OBL has to pull off a major attack here soon to look like a "player" at all.
Several analysts think that his mention of Lebanon in the excerpts of the tape that were broadcast indicates that the baton is being passed to Hizbullah, which is based in Lebanon/Syria.
This might also indicate that OBL is in Iran.
Iran not only hasn't given up their state sponsorship of Islamist terrorism, but they flaunt it.
With 2 members remaining in the Axis of Evil, we still have victories to achieve in the future, but all in all, I'd said that a President Bush-led America hasn't done half bad in waging this new war for the past 3 years.
Clearly, the President needs a mandate to finish the job--Let's give it to him!