Here is one front where Osama bin Laden is doing quite well…
“It is obvious that the media war in this century is one of the strongest methods (of struggle). In fact, its ratio may reach 90 percent of the total preparation for battles.”
Osama bin Laden
A letter to Mullah Omar
Captured during recent operations
& released in March, 2006.
This translated message from Osama bin Laden to Taliban Leader Mullah Omar was released last week by the Pentagon:
Bin Laden himself is thought to have written one of the documents – a letter to Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar. It is not clear whether the letter was written before or after Omar was overthrown and forced to leave Afghanistan.
Bin Laden tells Omar that if they continue attacks in the “Islamic republics” – apparently the Muslim states of the former Soviet Union – it will “keep the enemies busy and divert them away from the Afghan issue and ease the pressure.”
“It is a fact that the region of the Islamic republics is rich with significant scientific experience in conventional and non-conventional military industries, which will have a great role in future holy war against the enemies of Islam,” says the letter. It is not specific on the type of non-conventional armaments, but it seems to be referring to biological and chemical warfare.
The letter also talks of the importance of communicating with the media, an issue on which Mullar Omar would have disagreed. The Taliban leader was famous for refusing press interviews and avoiding cameras.
“It is obvious that the media war in this century is one of the strongest methods (of struggle). In fact, its ratio may reach 90 percent of the total preparation for battles,” bin Laden writes.
With headines like these in the news today:
Bush Asks U.S. to Look Past Iraq Bloodshed
Bush counters civil war fears amid Iraq chaos
Bush defends Iraq optimism three years on
US blasted for creating terrorism “quagmire” on anniversary of Iraq war
And, with accusations like these:
Dick Durbin– “You would most certainly believe this must have happened by Nazis, Soviets in their gulags, or some mad regime – Pol Pot or others…”
John Murtha– Murtha said the US had no choice but to pull out completely… from Somalia. (Osama bin Laden later said this showed America was a “paper tiger” and a “weak horse”.)
John Murtha– “Why would I believe him? (on General Peter Pace the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, from “Face the Nation“)
…It looks like this Osama is doing well on this front!
Jeff Goldstein has more on the Saddam links to Osama bin Laden today.
John Stephenson notes one of the more outrageous questions that President Bush had to field today during a question and answer period.
