Osama Threatens Red States with Terrorism: ie Vote for Kerry or Die!

[Chicago Democrat]

Was Bin Laden Blackmailing Ohio?
A more sinister translation.
By Mickey Kaus
Updated Monday, Nov. 1, 2004, at 9:24 AM PT


T. Bevan of RealClearPolitics is getting worried. ... 10:08 A.M.

Was bin Laden attempting state-by-state blackmail? Safire misses the key aspect of bin Laden's proposed "truce," if the astonishing translation of OBL's video by the right-wing Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) is to be believed. MEMRI claims bin Laden said:

"any U.S. state that does not toy with our security automatically guarantees its own security."

In MEMRI's interpetation, bin Laden isn't extorting the U.S. as a nation--he's extorting every one of the 50 states. He's been reading up on the Electoral College and he's trying to neutralize potential swing states the way he neutralized Spain. He's talkin' to you, Wisconsin! It will be interesting to see if MEMRI's stunning translation holds up. ... P.S.: I'm a bit skeptical. If bin Laden is trying to get voters in individual states to reject Bush, why did he preface the above passage with "Your security is not in the hands of Kerry or Bush or Al-Qa'ida." In MEMRI's version, bin Laden would in fact be promising security if voters pick Kerry--though perhaps OBL is saying that the blue states get protection even if Kerry loses, and red states will be attacked even if Kerry wins. But, at the least, wouldn't the wording bin Laden chose be a little too subtle to effectively convey an extortion threat? ... P.P.S.: If blue states get rewarded with no terror, that puts New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles (and Washington, D.C.) off limits. Is Al Qaeda really abandoning its Manhattan obsession? ... P.P.P.S.: The key phrase is "al Wilaya." MEMRI explains, in a footnote, "'Wilaya' refers specifically to a U.S. state; it would never refer to an independent country. The term for such a country is 'Dawla.'" I have no idea if that's accurate or not, but presumably there are many people who do. (Email me!) ... WaPo's translation is "each state," not "each U.S. state." ... It's not completely confidence-inspiring that MEMRI at one point translates the phrase as "each U.S. state" and then later uses "any U.S. state." ... Update: Here's a post that supports MEMRI's translation. I think. ... Update: Abu Aardvark dissents. ... 10:50 P.M.

http://slate.msn.com/id/2108954/

[Catfight]

1. God actually will threaten red states will bad weather! Spin that Rove.

[TNOE]

2. Sender's Berl's take - very interesting

http://www.senderberl.com/OBL.htm

[DoBotherMe]

3. I believe that the terrorist was using

"state" as in nation not the invidual states w/in the U.S. Just like Sen. Kerry's global statement which meant universal or an overwhelming support by the U.S. people for a president's decision to go to war. Can no one think past their own narrowly circumscribed definition of words?

[InternalDialogue]

4. Agreed

from AbuAardvark
http://abuaardvark.typepad.com/abuaardvark/2004/11/memris_disgusti.html

<snip>

MEMRI's argument entirely on bin Laden's use of the word 'wilayet' instead of 'dawla' to refer to 'state.' While MEMRI is correct that in normal usage, wilayet would refer to a sub-unit (such as an American state), its dictionary definition is, in fact, 'sovereign power, sovereign, sovereignty, rule, government' (Hans Wehr dictionary)

[theHandpuppet]

5. I agree

Upon reading that suppose statement from Osama Bin Forgotten, it never occurred to me that he was actually referring to individual "states".

[David__77]

6. This is bullshit.

"State" obviously refers to "governments," not to the intra-US administrative units known as "states." This is a ridiculous ploy and won't go anywhere because it doesn't deserve to.

[David__77]

7. And if it were true...

...he wouldn't have attacked heavily anti-Bush New York City. This is a steaming shitpile.

[Monte Carlo]

8. Yeah, well, anything Mickey Kaus says is suspect.

He's written a string of Kerry-bashing articles in the past, so I'm not one to suffer his speculation.

[Lerkfish]

9. wake me up later...

YAWN.



terrorism only works if you accept the fear. Cheney has been making veiled and not so veiled threats against americans who don't vote for Bush for the last couple of months: VOTE BUSH/CHENEY OR SUFFER A NUCLEAR TERRORIST ATTACK.

its old. get over it. What it SHOULD tell you is that bush cannot keep us safe, could not even catch Bin ladin...this should point to both the complexity of the issue and the incompetence of the commander in chief. Why right wing nutjobs think it supports their candidate to get scary death threats....is beyond me.

[YIMA]

10. This Worries Me

I live in a red state and there's no doubt in my mind that al Qaeda or some terrorist organization will attack again and when they do they will kill those of us in states who overall voted for * even if we individually didn't vote for *. I do not believe bin Laden when he says that he will view a Kerry victory as a sign of wanting peace. They do not care who is in the WH, they just want us out of the ME and to abandon Israel and they will kill us until we comply. I hope Kerry immediately withdraws all troops from Iraq and Afghanistan and that we dissolve from supporting Israel the day he becomes President and maybe those in the ME can see fit to forgive us and leave us alone. This whole thing has me in such fear of my life that I can hardly function from day to day.

:scared: :scared: :scared: :scared:

[fugop]

11. No way

Osama will be so very depressed when BUsh loses. He couldn't have hired a better recruiter. They don't care which state is red or blue. Attacks are about the symbolism. Rest safe. Vote Kerry. Not because of anything that vile terrorist says (or is interpreted to say). Just vote for a better, safer life. Period.

[YIMA]

14. Maybe

I don't know. I'm voting Kerry, that's never been in question. But bin Laden can just as easily recruit new terrorists by saying that America voted for Kerry out of fear of what terrorists would do to us if we didn't. It's so confusing. But I'm still scared, that isn't going to go away anytime soon, and I mean years and years.

[AuntPatsy]

12. I fear another four years of Bush so much more than any terrorist.

[Kimber Scott]

13. Some translations say "any nation." This stuff is B.S. and elevates bin

Laden above his deserved status.