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bin Laden offers a truce

hhour48

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CIA believes terror tape is of bin Laden
Tape warns Americans of impending attacks, offers truce

Thursday, January 19, 2006; Posted: 2:36 p.m. EST (19:36 GMT)


(CNN) -- CIA officials believe an audiotaped message threatening the United States is from al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, who warns that plans for terror attacks are under way -- and also offers a "long-term truce."

" ... The war against America and its allies will not be confined to Iraq," the voice on the tape said, adding that "Iraq has become a magnet for attracting and training talented fighters."

"It's only a matter of time," the voice said, referring to attacks. "They are in the planning stages, and you will see them in the heart of your land as soon as the planning is complete." (Watch report on purported bin Laden tape -- 3:26)

CIA intelligence officials who analyzed the recording, which was aired on Arabic-language network Al-Jazeera Thursday, believe the voice on the poor-quality audiotape is that of bin Laden.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan said the tape suggested bin Laden was "under pressure." He also dismissed the idea of a truce, saying, "We must confront threats before it is too late...before the attacks reach our shores."

The taped message also opened the door to a "solution."

"In response to the substance of the polls in the U.S., which indicate that Americans do not want to fight Muslims on Muslim land, nor do they want Muslims to fight them on their land, we do not mind offering a long-term truce based on just conditions that we will stick to.

"We are a nation that God banned from lying and stabbing others in the back. Hence, both parties of the truce will enjoy stability and security to rebuild Iraq and Afghanistan, which were destroyed by war.

"There is no problem in this solution, but it will prevent hundreds of billions from going to influential people and warlords in America -- those who supported Bush's electoral campaign. And from this, we can understand Bush and his gang's insistence on continuing the war," the voice said.

CNN could not immediately confirm that the voice on the poor-quality audiotape was that of bin Laden. However, CNN's Senior Editor for Arab Affairs Octavia Nasr said it does sound like the al Qaeda leader.

On the tape, the speaker said, "Our mujahedeen were able to overcome all the security measures in European countries, and you saw their operation in major European capitals.

FBI, counterterrorism and intelligence officials say there's been no increase in so-called "chatter," or monitored communications, and no intelligence suggests any terrorist plan is operational or ready to be put in place in the United States.

No plans exist to raise the nation's threat level from "yellow" -- or elevated -- to "orange" -- or high, according to McClellan and Homeland Security Department spokesman Russ Knocke.

To Knocke's recollection, the threat level has never been raised in reaction to an al Qaeda tape. The threat level has been raised seven times since the color warning system was created after the September 11, 2001, attacks.

There is no way to determine when the message was recorded, but the reference to attacks in European cities could indicate it was recorded after the July 7 bombings on London's transportation system. The morning rush-hour attacks on three subways and a double-decker bus killed at least 52 people.

Another clue includes a reference to a secret Downing Street memo, first reported in the British newspaper, The Mirror, on November 22.

"Recently documents appeared that the freedom butcher of the world was planning to bomb the headquarters of the satellite television Al-Jazeera in Qatar ..." the voice said, according to a transcript on Al-Jazeera's Web site.

In the memo, President Bush allegedly discussed such a plan.

Broadcast portions of the tape did not, however, mention the CIA strike on a home in Damadola, Pakistan, last Friday. The CIA had targeted senior al Qaeda members, who were expected to attend a dinner, and it is not clear if any were among the 18 people who were killed.

If the voice on the tape is determined to be that of bin Laden, it would be the first message from the al Qaeda leader since he released two audiotaped messages in December 2004.

The first of those messages mentioned the attack on the U.S. Consul offices in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, earlier that month that left five people dead. In the second message, bin Laden anointed terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi as his deputy in Iraq.

The last videotaped message from bin Laden was seen just before the U.S. presidential election in 2004.

Reference to U.S. opinion polls
In the audiotape released released Thursday, the speaker cited U.S. opinion polls, saying that most Americans want U.S. troops pulled out of Iraq.

"Your President Bush has been misleading you. He has lied when he said that the people are behind him. Opinion polls have indicated that the overwhelming majority of you want him to pull the troops out of our land.

"We have the answer to these misleading information. The situation in Iraq is getting worse for you and the dead and the injured among you is on the rise," the voice on the tape said.

It's not clear exactly which polls he's referring to, but CNN/USA Today/Gallup polls released January 11 showed that 53 percent of those questioned felt things were going badly for the United States in Iraq, and 46 percent thought things were going well.
 
Its odd he didn't list what would make up a truce
and does he have any real power anymore over all the splinter groups
 
I still question if he is alive.

From video to audio tapes.  Anyone can make an audio tape and say it is Bin Laden who is speaking.  If Bin Laden is free to make audio tapes why not use video? 

If he sends out an audio tape and the US declares it is him on the tape, then why not use video if you are not affraid of showing the world you are still alive.

I use extreme caution when I hear that he may or may not be alive.  After all, there are many postive things for different groups and countries that can come from him still being alive. 
 
Bin Laden being alive and threatening attacks on the continental U.S. is very convienant for U.S. domestic and foreign policy objectives.

Would it be too Orwellian of me to believe Bin Laden doesn't exist?
 
BKells said:
Bin Laden being alive and threatening attacks on the continental U.S. is very convienant for U.S. domestic and foreign policy objectives.

Would it be too Orwellian of me to believe Bin Laden doesn't exist?

Yes. IF they wanted to fake something like this, producing a tape that can be authenticated (or shown to be a fraud) would not hold up. As well, Al Jazeera (sp?) is not in the habit of co-operating with 'Big Brother'.

No offence, but stupid theory.

 
Caesar said:
Yes. IF they wanted to fake something like this, producing a tape that can be authenticated (or shown to be a fraud) would not hold up. As well, Al Jazeera (sp?) is not in the habit of co-operating with 'Big Brother'.

No offence, but stupid theory.

I wasn't entirely serious about my claim, but I can't help myself from rebutting you. Who was the tape authenticated by? Oh, right.. the CIA..
 
Bring on the video with the AK47 leaning up against the wall and a timex watch on their wrist!
 
BKells said:
I wasn't entirely serious about my claim, but I can't help myself from rebutting you. Who was the tape authenticated by? Oh, right.. the CIA..

Right, I understood you were mostly kidding. But for argument's sake, that tape can be analyzed by ANYONE.
 
Somehow I doubt that Al Jazeera asked the CIA to authenticate the tape before they aired it.  But that's just me.  Others may subscribe to the theory that Al Jazeera is a propaganda organ of the CIA.  To each his own.
 
48Highlander said:
Somehow I doubt that Al Jazeera asked the CIA to authenticate the tape before they aired it.  But that's just me.  Others may subscribe to the theory that Al Jazeera is a propaganda organ of the CIA.  To each his own.

I'd say that they are closer to being enemies than co-collaborators.

The US Gov confirmed it was Bin Laden, and there is nothing to suggest they are wrong/lying.

I'd flat-out refuse the truce (which they did), but be cautiously optimistic that one was offered.
 
What do you mean Ghost

Bleh lost my big reply. Basically I'm just making fun of those dumb videos they come out with. Some guy in a disguise reads their demands with a monotone voice inside a cave or stark room with an AK47 or whatever leaning up against the wall. Then their's a lot of talk about what kinda watch hes wearing and if it's fake etc..

OBL knows if he wants to have any credibility in one of these tapes then he needs to atleast be seen on video.

It's crazy to think he can offer a truce. Sure HE may quit and his cronies might relax too but this is pretty much beyond him IMHO.  Theres hundreds of terrorist groups out there now, their enjoying this making money and doing their thing.  If OBL says quit then im sure many of them will simply think he's weak and continue on their war - especially if the seat at the head of the jihad table comes up for grabs.
 
Caesar said:
I'd say that they are closer to being enemies than co-collaborators.

The US Gov confirmed it was Bin Laden, and there is nothing to suggest they are wrong/lying.

I'd flat-out refuse the truce (which they did), but be cautiously optimistic that one was offered.

Cautiosly optimistic?  That's the problem with these statements...many people WILL see it that way.

Personaly?  I think he's trying to devide us even more.  He understands the current state of US politics as we do.  What better way to even further degrade the support for the war?  If the US DOES withdraw (unlikely), the current "resistance" in Iraq can solidify it's grasp on the country, and Osama gets some of the credit and loses nothing.  On the other hand, if US troops remain in the country, the left can start whining about what a reasonable offer the Insurgents made, and here we are ignoring it and continuing to pursue our "imperial policies".
 
http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2006/01/19/osama-tape20060119.html

An audiotape from Osama bin Laden has been aired on Al-Jazeera television, with a chilling warning for the United States.

The CIA has authenticated the voice on the tape as that of bin Laden, an agency official said.

Addressing the American people directly, bin Laden declares that new attacks on the United States are being prepared and "you will see them in the heart of

your land as soon as the planning is complete." But it also makes a vague reference to a possible truce with the United States.

It remains unclear when the tape was made, but it does confirm that the al-Qaeda leader is still alive.

In the tape, bin Laden refers to attacks in Europe, presumably the commuter-train bombings of 2004 in Madrid and last summer's transit bombings in

London. As translated from Arabic by CNN, the voice says: "I would also like to say that the war against America and its allies will not be confined to Iraq.

Iraq has become a magnet for attracting and training talented fighters.

"Our mujahadeen [holy warriors] were able to overcome all security measures in European countries, and you saw their operation in major European

capitals," the voice adds. 'Only a matter of time' "As for similar operations taking place in America, it's only a matter of time. They are in the planning stages

and you will see them in the heart of your land as soon as the planning is complete."

But it also says, "we do not mind offering you a truce that is fair and long term ... so we can build Iraq and Afghanistan ... There is no shame in this solution

because it prevents wasting of billions of dollars ... to merchants of war." The conditions for such a truce were not made clear.

Last Friday's U.S. air strike in Pakistan, possibly involving missiles fired from remotely piloted aircraft, is thought to have been aimed at bin Laden's second-in-

command, Ayman al-Zawahiri.

The attack levelled a residential compound, killing as many as 18 civilians, including women and children, and two men described as senior members of bin

Laden's al-Qaeda organization. Al-Zawahiri is believed to have escaped.

On its website, Al-Jazeera posted extensive excerpts from the tape, including these: "This message is about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and how to end

those wars. Wars 'definitely going our way' "It was not my intention to talk to you about this, because those wars are definitely going our way. "But what

triggered my desire to talk to you is the continuous deliberate misinformation given by your President [George W.] Bush, when it comes to polls made in your

home country which reveal that the majority of your people are willing to withdraw U.S. forces from Iraq.


Other excerpts apparently aimed at Americans:


"If your desire for peace, stability and reconciliation was true, here we have given you the answer to your call."
"I would like to tell you that everything is going to our advantage and the number of your dead is increasing, according to Pentagon figures."


"The new operations of al-Qaeda has not happened not because we could not penetrate the security measures. It is being prepared and you'll see it in your homeland very soon."

"We do not mind establishing a long-term truce between us and you."

So what do you all think should be done about this ?, Im pretty sure i heard that the Americans said that they will have no truce with him.
do you think that this could possibly be an improvement with the war on terror or simply stupidity if we even so much as think about making a truce ?
:cdn:
 
48Highlander said:
Cautiosly optimistic?  That's the problem with these statements...many people WILL see it that way.

Well, unless Osama is playing the rope-a-dope, the optimist should consider this truce offer as a sign of weakness, and intensify the efforts to kill/capture him once and for all.

 
Ya'd think we'd be able to catch Osama from the audio and video tapes they send.  Where's the trace? what's the deal, we must of caught a runner or two by now.  Are our ninja-sniper-commando-agents as good as we think?

Osama's either dead or we don't want him.
 
Why is it..if the #1 enemy of USA is in afgan......why they would have the least troops there?...cmon you guys cant be this stupid...why do you think my name is Meatpuppet?????
 
Meatpuppet said:
Why is it..if the #1 enemy of USA is in afgan......why they would have the least troops there?...cmon you guys cant be this stupid...why do you think my name is Meatpuppet?????
?
???

Well, first off, who do you think is "the #1 enemy of USA"?

If you're refering to Osama, we have no intel to indicate that he's in Afghanistan.  In fact, everything we've seen indicates he got his ass out of there quite a while ago.  Plus I'm not sure how you figure he's the "#1 enemy".

As to why your name is Meatpuppet?  I'm guessing it's because you've visited too many conspiracy-theory websites.  Am I close?
 
From video to audio tapes.  Anyone can make an audio tape and say it is Bin Laden who is speaking.  If Bin Laden is free to make audio tapes why not use video?

If he sends out an audio tape and the US declares it is him on the tape, then why not use video if you are not affraid of showing the world you are still alive.

Well, he is growing old, weak, and possibly sick.

Showing a video of an old, weak and sick man isnt really the best way to create support.
 
Some of the best spiritual leaders are/were old, weak and possibly sick.

Who is to say why he doesn't make video? Perhaps the US is right and he is in northern Pakistan, and making a video could just give US analysts more clues to help determine that. There is no way to ever know his motives.
 
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