Bin Laden Back in Town:

RMNIXON · 07-14-2007, 09:44 PM

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden praises martyrdom as a weapon and a path to glory for Muslims in a video that CNN said on Saturday was intercepted before it was to appear on radical Islamist Web sites.

CNN, which noted it could not verify the authenticity of the 40-minute video and had translated it from Arabic into English, said on its Web site there was no indication of where or when the footage had been shot.

The news network said the video contained old clips but concluded it had been compiled in the last four weeks.

The environment in which bin Laden is shown speaking is similar to that on releases made before the September 11 suicide attacks on the United States by al Qaeda militants in 2001.

Octavia Nasr, CNN's senior editor for Arab affairs, said bin Laden appears in only a 50-second portion of the video in which he asserts the Prophet Mohammed had wanted to be a martyr.

"What is this status that the best of mankind wished for himself?" CNN said bin Laden asked rhetorically. "He wished to be a martyr. He himself said: 'By Him in whose hands my life is! I would love to attack and be martyred."'

"This glorious prophet who was inspired by God summarized this entire life by these words. He wished upon himself this status. Happy is one who was chosen by God as a martyr," bin Laden said, according to the CNN translation of his remarks.

PRAISE FOR COMRADES

Mustafa abu al-Yazid, named as al Qaeda's new commander in Afghanistan in May, also appears in the video praising fighters ready to die for the cause of jihad, or holy war.

The video is a compilation of documentary footage and testimony by fellow militants praising fallen Islamists from areas ranging from north Africa to Tajikistan in central Asia. Some of the militants are seen reading their final testaments.

CNN did not say how the footage had been intercepted. But a segment of the video, produced by al Qaeda's media arm al-Sahab, was seen on the lauramansfield.com Web site which provides Arabic translations and terrorism analysis.

Bin Laden was wearing army fatigues and appeared to be addressing followers.

For the past several weeks, radical Islamist Web sites have proclaimed there will be "good news soon from Sheikh Osama bin Laden," CNN reported.

The Senate voted on Friday to double the bounty on bin Laden to $50 million and require President George W. Bush to refocus on capturing the Saudi-born militant after reports that al Qaeda is gaining strength.

Shortly after the September 11 attacks, Bush said he wanted bin Laden caught dead or alive. But a year before the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, Bush shifted his emphasis, saying he did not know bin Laden's whereabouts and "I truly am not that concerned about him."

Top U.S. intelligence officials told the House of Representatives Armed Services Committee this week that residents of remote northwestern Pakistan, where bin Laden is believed to be hiding, have proven to be impervious to the financial rewards already offered by the U.S. government.

(Additional reporting by Firouz Sedarat in Dubai)

"New" bin Laden video said to call for martyrdom - Yahoo! News

__________________________________________________ ___________

Just when you wish that maybe he could be dead? Not that this means anything in the strategic planning of Al Qaeda, but it does get the worst of humanity stirred up like angry bees. Perhaps he wants to be a Martyr himself? Who knows..........but I don't think he wants anybody to have a Peaceful Summer and could care less who wins any Democratic election or how many steps the Iraqi government can make by September.

"Just Die for Me!"

Stylerod · 07-14-2007, 10:43 PM

there was no indication of where or when the footage had been shot.

The news network said the video contained old clips but concluded it had been compiled in the last four weeks.

The environment in which bin Laden is shown speaking is similar to that on releases made before the September 11 suicide attacks on the United States by al Qaeda militants in 2001.

He's dead. This was put out by people who either hope he's still alive, or people that want other people to think he's alive.

thomez · 07-14-2007, 10:52 PM

any evidence to that conclusion?

Stylerod · 07-14-2007, 10:58 PM

Originally Posted by thomez

any evidence to that conclusion?

Only he was an attention whore. If he was alive he would be talking about current events and telling his people what they need to be doing and where. He hasn't done that in, what, 2-3 years?

thomez · 07-14-2007, 11:00 PM

Originally Posted by Stylerod

Only he was an attention whore. If he was alive he would be talking about current events and telling his people what they need to be doing and where. He hasn't done that in, what, 2-3 years?

I don't think that you can say he isn't doing that just because there are not videos on Al-Jazeera about it. He might be stayin' on the DL for a while.

Stylerod · 07-14-2007, 11:07 PM

Originally Posted by thomez

I don't think that you can say he isn't doing that just because there are not videos on Al-Jazeera about it. He might be stayin' on the DL for a while.

He was their leader. He needs to keep his face out there to inspire and show his followers that the US can't keep him down.

He's dead. And probably has been for years.

RMNIXON · 07-15-2007, 05:13 PM

Originally Posted by Stylerod

He's dead. This was put out by people who either hope he's still alive, or people that want other people to think he's alive.

I heard this morning that this is evaluated to be a previously unreleased portion of a five year old tape.

I won't go so far as to say "He is dead" but this is rather curious when it would be very easy to film something with time related data. There has been nothing like that from Bin Laden for a long time now.

Donkey® · 07-15-2007, 05:30 PM

I can't say he's dead or alive until I see SOMETHING that resembles proof of either event.

Stylerod · 07-15-2007, 05:50 PM

Originally Posted by Donkey®

I can't say he's dead or alive until I see SOMETHING that resembles proof of either event.

You will never see proof of his death. Not for like another 30-40 years after some top secret documents are unclassified. IMHO.

Donkey® · 07-15-2007, 06:15 PM

Originally Posted by Stylerod

You will never see proof of his death. Not for like another 30-40 years after some top secret documents are unclassified. IMHO.

This I will disagree with. There is absolutely NO WAY the US killed him and know it. Could he be dead and his people are covering that up? Possible...but not likely. NOBODY can keep anything a secret for long.

Stylerod · 07-15-2007, 08:09 PM

Originally Posted by Donkey®

This I will disagree with. There is absolutely NO WAY the US killed him and know it. Could he be dead and his people are covering that up? Possible...but not likely. NOBODY can keep anything a secret for long.

That is a good point. He could be dead and we could know he's dead but not have a "smoking body" as proof.

But I'm sure there are plenty of secrets the government has that we don't know about. You really think the government has no secrets?

Donkey® · 07-15-2007, 08:14 PM

Originally Posted by Stylerod

That is a good point. He could be dead and we could know he's dead but not have a "smoking body" as proof.

But I'm sure there are plenty of secrets the government has that we don't know about. You really think the government has no secrets?

It is illogical that if BOTH sides know he's dead that BOTH sides would see it being secret as an "advantage."

Stylerod · 07-15-2007, 08:24 PM

Originally Posted by Donkey®

It is illogical that if BOTH sides know he's dead that BOTH sides would see it being secret as an "advantage."

I don't think the otherside knows. If they knew I think they would be using his name and image for martyrdom to drive up recruitments etc.

If we knew he was dead it would be an advantage to not let the other guys know their "leader" has gone to hell.

thomez · 07-15-2007, 08:25 PM

Originally Posted by Stylerod

I don't think the otherside knows. If they knew I think they would be using his name and image for martyrdom to drive up recruitments etc.

If we knew he was dead it would be an advantage to not let the other guys know their "leader" has gone to hell.

how could the guys he travels with and other top Al Qaida dudes not know if he was dead or not?

Donkey® · 07-15-2007, 08:37 PM

Originally Posted by Stylerod

I don't think the otherside knows. If they knew I think they would be using his name and image for martyrdom to drive up recruitments etc.

If we knew he was dead it would be an advantage to not let the other guys know their "leader" has gone to hell.

Are you kidding? What retarded scenario could you come up with that can explain how Al Queda wouldn't know Bin Laden is dead?

Stylerod · 07-15-2007, 08:40 PM

Originally Posted by thomez

how could the guys he travels with and other top Al Qaida dudes not know if he was dead or not?

a) They were all in the same cave when a 5000 lb bomb flew into it.

b) Special forces found them, killed them, burned them, and buried them (with their heads facing west I hope).

Dead men tell no tales.

Stylerod · 07-15-2007, 08:41 PM

Originally Posted by Donkey®

Are you kidding? What retarded scenario could you come up with that can explain how Al Queda wouldn't know Bin Laden is dead?

Please see my post below yours. You think he's going to pick up a phone after he's dead to say he's been killed????

Donkey® · 07-15-2007, 08:43 PM

Originally Posted by Stylerod

Please see my post below yours. You think he's going to pick up a phone after he's dead to say he's been killed????

And you think he wouldn't talk to ANYONE be around ANYONE for the past 5 years? You think he wants nothing to do with terrorism and attacks anymore?

Donkey® · 07-15-2007, 08:46 PM

Originally Posted by Stylerod

a) They were all in the same cave when a 5000 lb bomb flew into it.

If you haven't noticed, #2 has been putting out a steady flow of tapes. He wasn't in the cave.

Originally Posted by Stylerod

b) Special forces found them, killed them, burned them, and buried them (with their heads facing west I hope).

Dead men tell no tales.

Then why haven't Special Forces told anyone he's dead? Soldiers are testifying against each other in criminal trials in Iraq...do you REALLY think that NOBODY would say "OMG I WAS THERE AND WE KILLED HIM?" Why on earth would Bush not be trying for some semblance of positive news for his administration by admitting he's been killed?

thomez · 07-15-2007, 08:49 PM

Originally Posted by Stylerod

a) They were all in the same cave when a 5000 lb bomb flew into it.

b) Special forces found them, killed them, burned them, and buried them (with their heads facing west I hope).

Dead men tell no tales.

so nobody in Al-Qaida knows it, but bin Laden is dead

it all makes sense now