Bin Laden Warns of Attacks, Offers Truce

[Martrae]

Jan 19, 11:11 AM (ET)
By LEE KEATH

CAIRO, Egypt (AP) - Al-Jazeera on Thursday broadcast portions of an audiotape purportedly from Osama bin Laden, saying al-Qaida is making preparations for attacks in the United States but offering a possible truce to rebuild Iraq and Afghanistan.

The voice on the tape said heightened security in the United States is not the reason there have been no attacks there since the Sept. 11, 2001, suicide hijackings.

Instead, the reason is "because there are operations that need preparations," he said.

"The delay in similar operations happening in America has not been because of failure to break through your security measures. But the operations are happening in Baghdad and you will see them here at home the minute they are through (with preparations), with God's permission," he said.

"We do not mind offering you a long-term truce with fair conditions that we adhere to," he said. "We are a nation that God has forbidden to lie and cheat. So both sides can enjoy security and stability under this truce so we can build Iraq and Afghanistan, which have been destroyed in this war. There is no shame in this solution, which prevents the wasting of billions of dollars that have gone to those with influence and merchants of war in America."

The speaker did not give conditions for a truce in the excerpts aired by Al-Jazeera.

There was no immediate confirmation of the tape's authenticity, although the voice resembled that of bin Laden's in previous messages.

It has been more than a year since the last confirmed message from bin Laden - the longest period without a video or audiotape from the al-Qaida leader. The last audiotape purported to be from bin Laden was broadcast in December 2004 by Al-Jazeera. In that recording, he endorsed Abu-Musab al-Zarqawi as his deputy in Iraq and called for a boycott of Iraqi elections.

Al-Jazeera's editor-in-chief Ahmed al-Sheik would not comment on when or where the tape was received. He said the full tape was 10 minutes long. The station aired four excerpts with what it "considered newsworthy," he said, but would not say what was on the remainder.

Al-Sheik said the tape seemed to have been made "recently" but would not saw what led him to that conclusion.

[Kramer]

so is Al-Jezeera ever considered an accomplice/propoganda machine for Al-Qaida?

don't honestly know, this seems kind of hokey and a significant turn around from their typical militant postion, and if there are 10 minutes and they won't air anymore of it, I don't know....

does anyone know about them?

[kaharthemad]

ya know I dont believe that fucker is still alive. What I want is to see his ugly ass in front of a camera holding a copy of the NYtimes with the date plainly shown.

the fact is alot of the broadcasts seems a little too canned for me. No mention in any of them about current events, no mention of other names of the president or VP since the last election. Seems they made these tapes and are just sitting on them releasing them one after another in a preordered timeline.

I think if I was Bin Laden and I wanted to upset us I would be standing there with that newspaper saying "See? you guys fucked up!!1 Im still alive as of yesterday!!"

[Ganzo]

"We are a nation that God has forbidden to lie and cheat."

Thats a good one

[kaharthemad]

"We are a nation that God has forbidden to lie and cheat."

Thats a good one

They never once said they were not gonna rape, pillage and blow shit up. So to date I dont think they have lied.

[xaoshaen]

"We are a nation that God has forbidden to lie and cheat."

Thats a good one

They never once said they were not gonna rape, pillage and blow shit up. So to date I dont think they have lied.

I guess Arafat wasn't considered a member of the nation of Islam then?

[Lyion]

[Minrott]

Funny thing is, he doesn't need any of that to fly a plane into the Super Bowl.


Not that I'm saying any sort of truce is acceptable, just that the ground he's standing on while offering it is irrelevant.

[Martrae]

That pic is pretty much what I was thinking, Lyion...only I'd have put "how bout a truce.....(while I rebuild my forces)?"

[Tuggan]

or maybe hes got some kinda plan going that will make 9/11 look like nothing, and this is his way of saying "at least i tried" to get more support from his muslim homies.

[brinstar]

al-qaeda DID offer a truce with all the european nations, remember

[Sorina S]

He'd like to talk truce eh? I bet he would. We just just whacked 3 of his top men in Pakistan (unconfirmed). He has planned attacks, well ok. I belive he does, and I belive they can be carried out. The bombings in London last July screamed one thing to me, no matter how good you are, and the British are pretty good at this sort of thing, if they want it bad enough it'll get done.

So what's a poor Superpower to do? Invade Pakistan? I would have taken that route over puttin the smackdown on Saddam years ago, too late for that now but I belive CIA and Spec Ops touched a nerve with the latest strike. Hence the threat from Osama.

The offer of a truce is meaningless. When they blow up a NY subway (or something simular) in three months time they can say 'look, we offered them a truce and they declined'...What they want is for all westerners to leave the middle east, and we all know that's not gonna happen, and they know it also.