NEWS: O-Bin: Happy Birthday 9/11!

That was my first thought: That's not the same guy. . .

Hmmm.

Come on he's obviously of terrorist decent. Might be the same guy might not. Plastic surgery is all the rage for people living in caves on dialysis.

Aye, but your defence didn't have to cope with Craig 'Gobshite' Bellamy in that match

Yeah, one of the bonus features could be a game similar to "Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?"

I read a translation of bin Laden's video... It may be propaganda coming from him, but (and I can't believe I'm actually saying this), I tried to be objective and forget about the "who" for a minute to focus on the "what". After eliminating the idea that I might, if translated properly, be reading Osama's words, I was surprised to find that I actually see eye to eye on a few of his points (though I don't necessarily agree with them). Yikes! I realize that the video is "just" propaganda and that it's intent may be to manipulate, but what if I already thought of and agreed with some of the rhetoric before hand? Talk about a bizarre, yet validating experience. Ultimately, it's kind of like reading a liberal blog if you took out his "convert to Islam" comments, his al Qaeda strategem and all of Osama's personal points of conflict (between the Bush family and himself).

And here's the nut of it: His stated strategy is to have the U.S. overextend itself, chasing after the ghosts of al Qaeda until we have stretched our resources to the point of breaking. Yep, a war of attrition, just like the one they successfully fought (with our help) against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. He may not be original, but why change what's worked for them in the past?

I suppose the most curious element of Osama's comments were his recognition that he is a pawn in helping drive the U.S. propaganda machine, drawing more support for the war effort against Islam. If it is his intent for us to engage in a war of attrition, then we are playing right into both his and the administration's hands if we are incensed by his appearance and/or words... Of course, it could also just be his intent to plant a kernel of doubt within our minds so that we might become disheartened and lose the political will to continue fighting when doing so appears point-less. Either way, he is able to claim victory (though with much less blood shed should we disengage). The whole thing is kind of a mind-fuck if you read into it only so far, however there remain a few other alternatives. First, the U.S. and international intelligence and forces could focus all of their efforts on narrowing the "war on terror" against al Qaeda and Bin Laden alone and would probably be successful (in which case he loses, sort of, he would be martyred). Second, the U.S. could choose to widen the war on terror, in which case the procurement of resources may eventually become a primary goal of the military in order to sustain it's war making capability (in other words, war for war's sake). In which case I think we're all screwed...

There are other options as well, personally I hope that the cycle of violence will end once people realize the futility of unending warfare and domination. I can only hope this will one day happen, but history hasn't been kind to those who strive for change on hopes alone.

Its odd, but whenever I hear news of bin Laden I can't help thinking of the image of Goldstein from 1984.



Let the two minutes of hate begin.

Exactly.

The idea that bin Laden and the neocons want different things is mistaken.

More like the idea that Bin Laden and the neo-cons are different things is mistaken...

These tapes always pop up at just the right moment... strange how the US intelligence got hold of the only copy before it was posted on the web.

Mmmh bullshit, bullshit, bullshit... happy 9/11 to all those beleivers out there!



Yargit Targit

Oh right, and umm... that was sarcasm in case you were too wrapped up in it to catch that one too.