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| Last Updated: Thursday, 19 January 2006, 20:18 GMT 'Bin Laden tape' warns of attacks Opinion is divided as to whether the voice really is Bin Laden's Arabic TV station al-Jazeera has broadcast an audio tape it says is by the al-Qaeda leader, Osama Bin Laden. In it, the speaker says new attacks on the US are being planned, but offers a "long-term truce" to the Americans. CIA analysts have concluded the voice on the tape was that of Bin Laden, making it the first time he has been heard from since December 2004. However, other analysts familiar with Bin Laden's voice are divided as to whether the voice really is his. The US quickly rejected the truce offer made on the tape. "We do not negotiate with terrorists. We put them out of business," said White House spokesman Scott McClellan. The speaker on the tape said the reason there had not been an attack in the US since 11 September 2001 was not because of superior US security, but because the group had been engaged in activities in Iraq - and because operations in the US "need preparations". "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. US officials have said they believe Bin Laden hiding in a mountainous area on the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. There is no clear indication of when the tape was recorded. Last month, al-Jazeera aired a videotape it said dated back to September, showing al-Qaeda's deputy leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. In it, Zawahiri declared that, despite a prolonged absence and rumours about ill-health or possible injury, Bin Laden was alive. Truce offer Despite the warning of renewed attacks, the speaker also offered the US the chance of a long-term truce in light of the fact that US public opinion polls showed growing opposition to the war in Iraq. "We have no objection to responding to this with a long-term truce based on fair conditions," the speaker said. "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. "Your president is misinterpreting public opinion polls which show that the vast majority of you support the withdrawal of your forces from Iraq." Bin Laden made Europe a similar truce offer following the Madrid train bombings of March 2004. Correspondents say it is an attempt to frighten the public and drive a wedge between them and their governments, which say it is necessary to stay to distance in Iraq, not pull out troops. The BBC's Justin Webb in Washington says that in the US the immediate political effect of the tape will probably be to boost support for President George W Bush. |
| QUOTE (Dr_Steve @ Jan 20 2006, 06:02 PM) |
| but what if they just voice-overed the tape with a voice impersinator? like you know those cards you can buy and when you open them it sounds like a cilebrity. Well they could hire that dude and get him to talk about recent stuff. |
| QUOTE (Dr_Steve @ Jan 20 2006, 06:59 PM) |
| like that shit they had to detect WMD's in Iraq? :ohsnap: |
| QUOTE (Miss_Illusioned @ Jan 20 2006, 07:04 PM) |
| they verified that it is more than likely bin laden and it was recorded recently as they talked about some attack the US recently made. |
| QUOTE (the oob @ Jan 20 2006, 06:10 PM) |
| Ah thanks for that, couldn't be bothered reading the transcript myself. |
| QUOTE (Miss_Illusioned @ Jan 20 2006, 07:21 PM) |
| Not sure if it was in the transcript (couldn't be botehred reading it fully either) but it was on the news tonight |
| QUOTE (Miss_Illusioned @ Jan 20 2006, 08:27 PM) |
| Woah that came out of left field. I was just letting you know it wasn't YOUR fault for not knwoing this as you didn't read the transcript. letting you know it was from an outside source... Never mind then |
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| Bin Laden's long awaited follow up to his 2004 masterpiece has once again set the world on fire. Bin Laden, who spent a lot of his career in the underground, burst onto the scene in september 2001 with a publicity stunt that captured the world's attention. Since then, this reclusive star has made relatively few appearances, but those he has made have always caused quite a stir, and redefined the scene. |