Osama Bin Laden is apparently alive and well and has denounced Saddam. Does this mean the US and Al Quaeda have similar goals and interests? Birds of a feather, or something like that.
THE STATEMENT also calls Iraqi President Saddam Hussein an “infidel,” but stresses that the paramount battle for Muslims is with the United States and its allies.
(An initial, extemporaneous translation mistakenly characterized the speaker’s comments about Saddam.)
The speaker also described how al-Qaida fighters in Afghanistan were able to withstand heavy U.S. bombardment by hiding in trenches.
“With all the might of the enemy, they were unable to defeat us and take over that position. … We hope that our brothers in Iraq will do the same as we did,” said the voice.
“We advise about the importance of drawing the enemy into long, close and tiring fighting, taking advantage of camouflaged positions in plains, farms, mountains and cities,” he said. He added that the enemy is terrified about urban warfare “because they will have big casualties.”
Analysts familiar with bin Laden’s voice said the audio tape seemed to be authentic.
“When you listen to the tape, you can tell it’s Osama bin Laden’s voice,” Yasser Thabet, a broadcast editor at al-Jazeera.
He also said the tape appears to be authentic because the television station got it through the same means as previous bin Laden statements. He did not elaborate.
Listen to these people who run our government, do they think we’re morons? How long will we be spoonfed?
White House officials who saw the transcript acknowledged that it would not provide any concrete link between al-Qaida and the Iraqi government, but they said the tape and other intelligence showed “the bad guys are swimming in the same cesspool.”