Just when we thought that we were safe from an October surprise here is Osama with a video. Turn on the news if you haven't yet.

sigh

Al-Jazeera Airs Videotape by Bin Laden

13 minutes ago

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CAIRO, Egypt - The Arab television station Al-Jazeera aired a video of Osama bin Laden (news - web sites) on Friday directly admitting for the first time that he carried out the Sept. 11 attacks and promising to outline "the best way to avoid another Manhattan."



It was the first footage of the al-Qaida leader to surface in more than a year. The video showed bin Laden in traditional white robes, a turban and a cloak reading from papers and standing in front of a plain, brown cloth background.

"We decided to destroy towers in America," bin Laden said.

He said the attack was carried out because "we are a free people ... and we want to regain the freedom of our nation."

He also accused President Bush (news - web sites) of "misleading" the American people three years since the 2001 suicide airline hijackings that hit the World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon (news - web sites).

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor.../bin_laden_tape

Bin Laden Accuses Bush of Deceiving Americans
By Ghaida Ghantous
DUBAI (Reuters) - Osama bin Laden accused George W. Bush on Saturday of deceiving Americans and said the Sept. 11 attacks would not have been so severe if the U.S. president had been alert.
Bin Laden, appearing in a video on Al Jazeera four days before the U.S. presidential election and gesturing at the camera with a finger to stress points, made his clearest comments yet taking responsibility for the Sept 11 attacks.
"Despite entering the fourth year after Sept. 11, Bush is still deceiving you and hiding the truth from you and therefore the reasons are still there to repeat what happened," said the al Qaeda leader, making his first video appearance for more than a year.
The Bush administration resembled "corrupt" Arab governments, he said.
Bin Laden, apparently sitting or standing at a table against a neutral brown background, wore a white head covering and white tunic under a light brown cloak.
Reading from a sheet of paper, his voice was strong and he appeared in fair health, his full beard a mixture of white and dark gray.
A U.S. official said U.S. intelligence agencies believed that it appeared to be bin Laden on the tape.
Bush has ordered U.S. forces to get bin Laden dead or alive and American officials have said they suspect he is hiding in the border area between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
An editor at Al Jazeera said the Qatar-based channel had received the video tape on Friday but did not say how. He said the tape was new but did not give any details.
Saudi-born bin Laden appeared in a video tape broadcast by Al Jazeera in September 2003, showing him and his deputy Ayman al-Zawahri descending a mountainside calling for jihad and praising the Sept. 11 hijackers.
In April, Arab television stations broadcast an audio tape purportedly from bin Laden offering a three-month truce to Europeans if they withdrew troops from Muslim nations. The deadline expired with no word from bin Laden.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...ity_binladen_dc

So, whom do we suppose this helps/hurts? On the one hand, the fact that he's resurfaced and is making threats again would seem to help Kerry, since the obvious fact to arise out of this is that bin Laden has yet to be captured in the three years since 9/11--big failure on the part of the Bush administration. On the other hand, for reasons I still don't understand, Americans seem to think Bush will keep us safer and do a better job of fighting terrorism, so they go flocking to the polls to vote for him on Nov. 2--oh, please, Mr. Bush, save us from the evil Mr. bin Laden! <_<

I tend to think this helps Kerry more than Bush. I just pray there isn't a terrorist attack associated with this.

I'm not sure that this will help or hurt anyone. If it helps anyone it will probably be Bush...and that was probably the underlying intent of that fiend. One fiend helping the other. He would hate to see world opinion soften toward the United States which is what will happen with the Kerry victory.

I know one thing THIEF BUSH makes me feel "UNSAFE." He's an oppressor in so many ways. Only rich, white thugs would feel safe under Mr. EVIL.

The Osama's tape did the job it was intended for. Bush is now paying back the tin-pot dictator of Pakistan by "selling" (giving away, since ultimately US taxpayers will pick up the tab) weapons of mass destructions . The man behind Taleban, international terrorism, illegal racketeering of nuclear weapons, and sheltering Al Queda is now getting a hefty payment in arms -- so that he can use on the largest democracy in the world.

Christmas is a PAYBACK time.

US offers to sell F-16s to Pakistan
http://www.janes.com/defence/air_forces/ne...40920_1_n.shtml


US to sell Pakistan six Phalanx anti-ship missiles
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?p...2-12-2004_pg1_3

Analysts say General Musharraf would dearly love to leave with a U.S. promise to sell some high-tech F-16 warplanes to Pakistan. Mr. Haqqani calls the F-16 issue a "matter of prestige" for the Pakistani leader.
http://www.voanews.com/english/2004-12-01-voa84.cfm