OBL video;justification for the continued brutal tactics in war on terror

[splat@14]

"What bin Laden Really Means to Bush" From "The Week", quotes from four allies on how the world sees us. I've noticed that the rest of the world seems to have picked up on the fact that "war on terror" is an excuse fro anything Bush wants to do. Impeach hell, he should be Saddam's cell mate...Are ya listening NSA?
Splat


Bin Laden offers ‘truce,’ but Bush isn’t buying it.
1/27/2006

Osama bin Laden’s legend just grows and grows, said the London Guardian in an editorial. With the release of his latest threatening audiotape, the archterrorist proved once again that “he has an unrivaled ability” to thumb his nose “at the American-led global manhunt against him.” After the whole of 2005 passed without a word from bin Laden, U.S. officials began speculating that he must be dead, or nearly so. But that theory has now proved to be another example of the “over-optimism that has characterized much of the U.S.-led war on terror.” Bin Laden is still out there, acting the great leader, making offers of a truce with feigned benevolence.

What a master of propaganda, said Renaud Girard in France’s Le Figaro. Bin Laden has “positioned himself at the level of the president of the United States.” He has appropriated for himself the power to “speak for all of Islam,” just as George W. Bush assumes the right to speak for the Free World. And bin Laden is not unjustified in his assumption. Surveys of public opinion even in more moderate Arab countries, such as Egypt and Jordan, show that 90 percent of the people consider bin Laden a freedom fighter, not a terrorist. He has been particularly savvy at cultivating his own mystique, “living equally in the world of secrets and the world of proclamations.” How does he eat? How does he live? Is he really still in charge of al Qaida, or is he now only a cheerleader? We don’t know any of the answers—we know only that whenever he speaks, he commands our attention.

The U.S. is trying mightily to resist that command, said the Brest, France, Le Télégramme in an editorial. The first reaction from the White House spokesman was a brusque dismissal of bin Laden’s vaguely worded truce offer. “We don’t negotiate with terrorists,” said Scott McClellan. “We put them out of business.” The U.S. didn’t even raise its color-coded threat alert level from yellow. Still, Bush and his advisors “are sure to welcome with some satisfaction bin Laden’s latest threat to attack U.S. soil.” Such a blatant menace “can provide a justification to U.S. allies for the continued use of brutal tactics in the war on terror.” How convenient that the tape was released just a week after the U.S. came under criticism for a bombing raid in Pakistan that was intended to kill al Qaida honchos but killed civilians instead. Now Bush can tell the Pakistanis that he has good reason to cross a few lines in the pursuit of al Qaida. Even a terrorist threat, then, has its silver lining.

Both Bush and bin Laden are playing a ridiculous game, said Robert Fisk in the London Independent. “Bin Laden has no intention of calling an end to his own war and nor has George Bush.” The sham truce offer is just another scripted move. The U.S. will reject the truce; an attack will occur; another bin Laden tape will come out in effect saying, “See what happens when you don’t believe me”—and Bush will issue another statement saying the war on terror must be kicked up yet another notch. The “irony,” of course, is that bin Laden is now largely irrelevant. Going after him would be “like arresting the world’s nuclear scientists after the invention of the atom bomb.” He has built his weapon and it will continue to kill whether he lives or dies. “The monster has been born. It’s al Qaida we have to deal with.”
http://www.theweekmagazine.com/article.aspx?id=1297

[MakeItSo]

1. Why would there be fake OBLs if there is a living one?

It's absolutely clear beyond a reasonable doubt that the alleged video of OBL magically discovered by US soldiers in a private home in Afghanistan was and is FAKE. In that video, OBL conveniently takes blame for 9/11, contradicting an earlier interview in a Pakastani newspaper in which he denied responsibility, blaming instead a "government within a government" in the US.

Which Osama is not like the other?



If you guessed E, you have eyes.


In the video Osama 'E' appears to write notes with his right hand, yet the FBI's description of Osama indicates he is left-handed. Osama 'E' wears a ring on his right hand which does not appear on other confirmed photos of Osama (e.g. Osama 'B'). Another man is seen wearing a large gold ring in the video. Since the wearing of gold rings is forbidden by Islam it shows neither he nor Osama 'E' has any devotion to this faith.

This is from whatreallyhappened.

Do you think someone would conspire to lie to the American public just that once with the fake video, and then in a fit of remorse decide to never, ever to do such a bad, bad thing again?

Naaahhhh....More like, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[splat@14]

2. Interesting. I never watched the latest vid of OBL. Your picture "E",

looks to be a poor standin and if what you say is true about the other details, someone isn't working very hard to sell this as OBL.
Thx!Splat