New message 'from Osama bin Laden'

[Newsjock]

Source: ITN

A message claimed to be from Osama bin Laden has urged Muslims to help end Israel's closure of the Gaza Strip.

The call has been made on an audio tape posted on an Islamist website on Sunday.

The speaker, whose voice reportedly sounds like the al-Qaeda leader's earlier recordings, said it was the religious duty of every Muslim to fight Israel's "oppressive closure" of Gaza.

Read more: http://itn.co.uk/news/8369332ef02d8b6b4802fb05dd74100d.html

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Compare to this version from the Associated Press:

CAIRO, Egypt (AP) — Osama bin Laden released a new message on Sunday accusing Arab leaders of sacrificing the Palestinians and calling on Muslim militants in Egypt to help break the blockade of Gaza.

Bin Laden called Arab leaders "agents of the crusaders" and "wolves" in the audio message posted on an Islamic militant Web site where al-Qaida leaders have issued past statements. He portrayed the citizens of Arab nations as herds of sheep who have been handed over to the wolves to look after them.

... Al-Qaida leaders are increasingly using the Israeli-Arab conflict in their media campaign to rally supporters. Israel has warned of growing al-Qaida activity in Palestinian territories, although the terror network is not believed to have taken a strong role there so far.

[PSPS]

1. The propagandist's blue pencil looms very large at the AP.

[Name removed]

2. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[mzmolly]

3. You mean Bush hasn't found "those responsible" for 911 yet?

Damn!

[Mugweed]

4. He finds those responsible every day...

in the mirror.

I've watched wood-frame buildings collapse from fire damage and they never look like a controlled demolition.

[panzerfaust]

5. I can't get the video -

what's up with that? Like can't get a camcorder into the cave??

[mac2]

6. Nice to hear from the British and American intelligence services.

They make poor quality films though.

[FarCenter]

7. Al Jazeera's version

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/003BA4C2-98B5-49BE-BB79-50A0A9082065.htm

Bin Laden urges end to Gaza closure

Osama bin Laden, the leader of al-Qaeda, has purportedly called on Muslims to help end Israel's closure of the Gaza Strip, according to a new audio tape. In the tape posted on the Internet on Sunday, a voice alleged to be bin Laden's said it was the religious duty of every Muslim to fight Israel's "oppressive closure" of Gaza.

The authenticity of the tape could not verified but the voice sounded the same as on other tapes attributed to bin Laden. The message was posted on the same day that George Bush, the US president, wrapped up a tour of the Middle East.

Bush had angered many Palestinians by lavishing the Jewish state with praise on its 60th anniversary, hailing it as a "homeland for the chosen people".

In the bin Laden message on Sunday, the speaker lashed out at Arabs leaders, accusing them of "sacrificing" the Palestinians. "Each one of us is responsible for the death of our vulnerable people in Gaza where scores have died because of the blockade". He said governments like Egypt had sided with Israel and the West against Islam and that there was "no way to "liberate Palestinian territories without violence".

...

"Each one of us is responsible for the death of our vulnerable people in Gaza where scores have died because of the blockade," he said.

...

[buckrogers1965]

8. Another message from beyond the grave.

And right on time for Bushes visit to Israel. How convenient.

[Blaq Dem]

9. Another Terror-gram, ay?

If I'm not mistaken, didn't Osama bin Laden endorsed George Bush for the 2004 election?

[ohio2007]

10. tales from the crypt calling out to the sheeple

He portrayed the citizens of Arab nations as herds of sheep who have been handed over to the wolves to look after them


Guess his team is getting their asses handed to them eh ?

[Ian David]

11. What you don't hear on the tape is Osama shouting at his producer, "We'll do it live! FUCK IT!! n/t

[KathieG]

16. LMAO!

[santamargarita]

12. Osama bin Laden is DEAD, he's Bush's imaginary villain

He's been dead for years!

[mac2]

14. That's why Bush isn't interested in finding him.

[Doctor_J]

13. Nice of the AP to edit out the part where he says "Obama, Yes We Can"

I bet he was wearing an Obama 08 T-shirt too.

:rofl:

[cayuga]

15. Do they really expect us to believe them?

First, there is NO proof that UBL is alive.

Second, the 'recent' videos of UBL are laughable in their fakeness.

Third, the only person in the world who claims to have seen these videos online is Laura Mansfield, the psuedonym for a 'State Dept.' employee who just happens to find these videos on websites that never have links to them. "Laura" is rabidly pro-Israel.

Fourth, we are tired of the lies.

[Indenturedebtor]

17. I hardly think this a "rabidly pro Israel" story in any way

If anything this probably just further incites some people (even here in the states) against Israel.

Osama may well be dead... It might not be our state dept who is coming up with these pressers though. To have him still alive serves many I think.

[stillcool]

18. oh boy...aren't they putting..

out the new terror model a little early? Maybe we'll go back to color codes by November.

[Art_from_Ark]

19. Is it the "fat one" or the "thin one"?

I keep getting my bearded bogeymen mixed up :crazy:

[pinniped]

20. Maybe OBL can give me some stock tips in his next communique.

.

[ohio2007]

21. Bin Laden PR push seen to reflect Islamist rivalry

Bin Laden PR push seen to reflect Islamist rivalry
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Osama bin Laden's emphasis on the Palestinians in recent messages is a political shift reflecting competition with a surging Hezbollah for Islamist leadership, analysts said.

The al Qaeda leader, thought to be hiding near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, has been on the sidelines as the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in Gaza draws Islamist attention and Hezbollah's stature and power grow in Lebanon, they said.

"Hezbollah is supplanting bin Laden as the leaders of the jihad, by winning," said James Lewis of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies. "He is having to compete in a new market for influence, and it's hard for him."
......
Said a U.S. counterterrorism official, "There's been a recent spate of terrorist messages in which Israel has been a central theme -- one that al Qaeda believes resonates in the Muslim world."
.....
Bin Laden mocked Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nesrallah for spurning Sunni fighters, and accused him of welcoming "crusader forces," or U.N. peacekeepers, to protect Israel.


"If he does indeed possess what he needs, why does he not persist in the fight to liberate Palestine," bin Laden said.

Besides what may be personal rivalry between bin Laden and Nesrallah, al Qaeda, which is Sunni Muslim, is engaged in a religious rivalry with Hezbollah and its supporter Iran, both Shi'ite, analysts said
....
They are losing credibility on their traditional battlefields -- they need to revive the question of Palestine," Alani said. "There's huge criticism in the Arab street and within Arab intellectual circles about al Qaeda's attitude toward the Palestinian question.

"(Critics say) they are not doing anything to attack Israel; at the same time they are criticizing Hezbollah or Hamas, who are fighting the Israelis."



http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/articlenews.aspx?type=worldNews&storyid=2008-05-20T233621Z_01_N20330733_RTRUKOC_0_UK-SECURITY-QAEDA-BINLADEN.xml

Seems the only thing both sects can agree on his whipping up hatred towards Israel and the last thing either wants is any serious peace talks.

OBL is DOA so the point is moot. His jihadi's are losing traction on the battlefield.

jmo

[Bragi]

22. The "OBL is dead" meme makes no sense

There is asolutely no reason whatsoever to think that OBL is dead, and it has nothing to do with Bush.

If OBL was dead, then AQ would proudly and enthusiastically turn him into the number one martyr for global jihadists, and life would go on for them even better than if he was alive.

It would certainly make no sense for them to pretend that a dead OBL is alive. Theories to the contrary seem to be based on a US-centric vision where all that matters is Bush and his alleged interest in using a dead OBL for his own purposes.

The problem with this theory is that if you look around, you will notice there are a lot of other players in this drama, such as the AQ leadership itself, none of whom would have an iota of interest in pretending OBL is alive if he wasn't.

At least that's how I see it.

Can anyone offer any substantive reasons as to why AQ would play along with Bush's alleged OBL scam?

- B