OTAGES AU MALI - La France sommée de "négocier avec Ben Laden"
LE POINT: Le chef d'Al-Qaeda au Maghreb islamique (Aqmi) a prévenu que la France allait devoir négocier avec Oussama Ben Laden pour obtenir la libération des cinq otages français retenus au Mali. Aqmi exige, en outre, de la France qu'elle retire ses troupes d'Afghanistan pour libérer les otages qu'elle retient, a ajouté l'Algérien Abdelmalek Droukdel. Le chef d'Aqmi s'exprimait dans un enregistrement audio diffusé jeudi soir par la chaîne de télévision du Qatar Al-Jazira, selon le centre américain de surveillance des sites islamistes SITE. "Toute forme de négociation sur ce sujet à l'avenir sera conduite avec personne d'autre que notre Sheikh Oussama Ben Laden (...) et selon ses conditions", a déclaré le dirigeant d'Aqmi. "(Si vous) voulez que vos citoyens qui sont prisonniers chez nous soient sains et saufs, alors vous devez vous dépêcher et retirer vos soldats d'Afghanistan selon un calendrier précis que vous rendrez public", a ajouté Abdelmalek Droukdel, selon la retranscription du SITE. >>> Le Point.fr | Vendredi 19 Novembre 2010

BBC: France rejects 'Bin Laden talks' to free hostages: France has rejected demands by an al-Qaeda group in northern Africa that it should negotiate the release of five French hostages and two others with Osama Bin Laden. >>> | Friday, November 19, 2010

Osama bin Laden Appoints New Commander to Spearhead War on West
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Osama bin Laden has appointed a new commander to spearhead al-Qaeda's offensive of operations against the West.

Known to western intelligence services by the alias Saif al-Adel, or "Sword of the Just", al-Qaeda's new chief of international operations is believed to have conceived of the wave of strikes that set off terror alerts across Europe recently, as well as last week's mid-air parcel-bomb plot.

US and Pakistani sources have told The Daily Telegraph that al-Adel is running several similar operations as part of a war of attrition intended to persuade Western public opinion that the war against terror is unwinnable. This would clear the road for al-Qaeda to capture power in fragile states such as Somalia and Yemen.

"His strategy", said Syed Saleem Shahzad, a Pakistani expert on al-Qaeda, "is to stage multiple small terror operations, using the resources of affiliates and allies wherever possible."

A US counter-terrorism official said the idea was for "small-but-often attacks" that would hurt the West more than a "one-off terror spectacular". >>> Praveen Swami, Diplomatic Editor | Wednesday, November 10, 2010

A Warning to Osama bin Laden: Heed the Lesson of History!
Wann Arbeit nicht so frei macht!
Europe has been established on Judeo-Christian principles. Islam has played almost no part in it. This is an undeniable fact. Further, today, Islam is the antithesis of all Europe stands for: Europe is synonymous with liberal democracy; Islam, by contrast, is synonymous with backwardness and totalitarianism.

In the Twenties and Thirties in Germany, the Jews became the scapegoats of the Germans. Hitler rose to power in the Thirties and demonized them. He managed to convince his fellow Germans that they, the Jews, were the root of all evil in Germany. When in power, he set about his plan to exterminate them. The so-called ‘Final Solution’, die Endlösung, was put in place.

Concentration camps (Konzentrationslager) were set up in Germany, and in occupied countries such as Poland. Such concentration camps as Chelmno (Kulmhof), Auschwitz-Birkenau, Belzek, Sobibor, Treblinka, Majdanek, Stutthof and Dachau were set up with one sole purpose: to exterminate the Jews.

This was racism in the raw!

Many today find it unbelievable that the Holocaust happened. Many Muslims, in particular, deny that these atrocities happened at all! But they did! That they did is well documented. This is historical fact. No sane person need spare a moment to deny any of it. If you are in any doubt, ask one of the survivors of those death camps! His testimony will be heart-rending indeed! It will show the depths to which man can sink.

This all happened in Europe little more than sixty years ago. Do you think this could not happen again? You would be mistaken if you do! History has a nasty habit of repeating itself. Human nature doesn’t change, as much as we would like to believe that it does. Circumstances change; human nature does not.

If it were to happen again, would the Jews be the ones to be persecuted? Probably not!

In those days, Jews were perceived as the bogeymen of Europe. These days, if any group of people is perceived as the bogeymen, if any group is perceived to threaten Europeans and their way of life, it is Muslims, not Jews. At the moment, there are far too few Jews in Europe to worry about their existence there. Muslims, on the other hand, live in Europe in millions; further, their numbers are growing apace. Today, these are the people Europeans worry about, not Jews.

Islam calls its adherents to live a very different way of life – a way of life quite alien to the way of life of Europeans. Many Europeans therefore feel quite naturally threatened by their growing existence in their midst, especially so because their politicians are too timid to stem Islam’s growth on European soil.

There is no doubt that Osama bin Laden has pushed the cause of Islam in the West. In fact, he has been hell-bent on making Europeans cower to the wishes of Muslims worldwide. European politicians, so far, have shown little will to resist his calls. Indeed, many would say that European politicians have been spineless and have shown little resolve to tackle the very urgent issues that face Europe today vis-à-vis Islam.

This spinelessness is very troubling. This lack of resolve is very troubling, too. Our politicians are appeasing Muslims. They are showing their weakness in the face of Muslims’ apparent strength. This weakness will not lead to any good place! When governments are perceived to be weak, politics is headed for a turn to extremism. We saw this recently in the United Kingdom, when the far right made substantial gains at the polls because of the perceived weakness of the Blair government.

With the present political climate, one might be forgiven for concluding that Europeans are weak, and are therefore ripe for take-over. This would be a wrong conclusion to make, even though it appears that way. What has happened in Europe once, can happen again. Might it, perhaps, merely be a matter of time?

No sane person, no kind person, no sensible person would wish to see a repeat of the Holocaust in Europe. Those were extremely sad times indeed; they should never be repeated. But, to avoid them, we need to learn the lessons of history. Learn why they happened in the first place. Learn why they happened at all. Osama bin Laden and his cronies need to learn these lessons, too.

The root of harmony is tolerance. Today it is believed – erroneously in my opinion - that tolerance can be legislated for. It cannot be. When a people perceives that its way of life is under threat, these people become capable of any act of evil. Our politicians would be wise to realize that people have not become more tolerant, have not become more understanding, and nor have they grown weaker. Deep down, people are the same today as they have always been. They can be pushed so far; but they will be pushed no further!

As abhorrent as the names Treblinka, Dachau and Auschwitz-Birkenau sound to the modern ear, the atrocities committed in those camps could happen again. Make no mistake about it! Circumstances might have changed; but man has not changed his nature. Nor has he lost his appetite for evil deeds!

If something isn’t done about the Muslim problem in Europe in the near future, the names Treblinka, Auschwitz-Birkenau, and Dachau will not be far from the minds of many Europeans. What happened once can happen again. Osama bin Laden would be wise to take heed!

© Mark Alexander

All Rights Reserved

Originally posted on Sunday, May 28, 2006 >>>

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Osama bin Laden Issues Warning to France Over Afghanistan War
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Osama bin Laden has reportedly warned France that al-Qaeda will kill French citizens in response to their continued involvement in the US-led war in Afghanistan.

In an audio message aired on Al Jazeera, bin Laden said the kidnapping of five French nationals in Niger last month had been prompted by France's unjust treatment of Muslims.

"How is it right for you to occupy our countries and kill our women and children and expect to live in peace and security?" a speaker who sounded like the al Qaeda leader said in the message directed to the French people. >>> | Wednesday, October 27, 2010

LE FIGARO: Ben Laden lance un avertissement à la France: Dans un message cité par Al-Jazira, le chef d'al-Qaida justifie la prise d'otages de Français au Sahel, exige le retrait des troupes françaises d'Afghanistan et affirme que les musulmans sont «en droit» de riposter par la violence à l'interdiction du voile intégral. >>> Par Pauline Fréour | Mercredi 27 Octobre 2010

'At Your Service, Osama' - the African Bin Laden Behind the Uganda Bombings
THE TELEGRAPH: As Somalia's al Shebab militants claim responsibility for bombings in Kampala, the Telegraph profiles their spiritual leader, accountant-turned-jihadi Ahmed Abdi Godane.

Al-Shabaab fighters provide security during a demonstration in Suqa Holaha neighborhood in Mogadishu, Somalia. Photo: The Telegraph
As befits a man who fears he has a US missile with his name on it, Ahmed Abdi Godane knows the importance of keeping a low profile.

The leader of Somalia's al-Shebab militant movement, he prefers to be heard rather than seen, ranting away in radio broadcasts from his group's strongholds in northern Mogadishu. Thanks to his fatwahs against pop music, foreign films and even televised football, he already has a captive audience - as of last week, though, he made the rest of the world take notice too.

"What happened in Kampala was just the beginning," he warned in his latest broadcast, gloating over Sunday's twin suicide bombings in the Ugandan capital, in which Shebab-backed "martyrs" slaughtered 76 people as they watched the World Cup final. "If Uganda and Burundi do not withdraw their troops from Somalia, there will be more bombings like these."

Delivered with the same fiery rhetoric with which he recently declared himself "at Osama bin Laden's service", Godane's warning confirmed what many outside Somalia have long dreaded: that the Shebab, which has imposed a Taliban-style regime across much of the anarchic, war-torn land, would one day begin exporting its brand of Islamist violence to the wider world.

Last Sunday's attacks, designed to punish both Uganda and Burundi for providing troops to support Mogadishu's shaky Western-backed provisional government, marked the first time the group had struck outside its own borders. Now, having proved the Shebab's credentials as the world's newest international terrorist group, security officials fear it is only a matter of time before Godane, also known as Abu Zubayr, orders similar attacks against the West.

"This is a move into a different league altogether, and will put Godane and al Shebab on the world map," one Nairobi-based security official told The Sunday Telegraph. "He is very much of the international jihads mindset, and wants Islamic rule across the world, from Somalia to Alaska." >>> Colin Freeman and Mike Pflanz in Nairobi | Saturday, July 17, 2010

Members of al Shabaab, a militant group that is seeking ties to al Qaeda, display their weapons in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, last month. Photo: The Wall Street Journal
Somalia's Al Shabaab to Ally With Al Qaeda
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: NAIROBI, Kenya—The militant group al Shabaab said it would ally with al Qaeda in a drive to establish an Islamic state in Somalia and fight for Muslims across East Africa, offering a fresh test for U.S.-backed African peacekeepers struggling to defend a weak Somali government.

In a statement Monday, the group said it had agreed, among other things, "to connect the horn of Africa jihad to the one led by al Qaeda and its leader Sheikh Osama Bin Laden." The statement, written in Somali and Arabic, is believed to be the first explicit confirmation of what U.S. and Somali government have long suspected: Militants in one of Africa's least stable places are sharing resources and merging agendas.

It isn't clear whether this new resolution will result in funding or training from al Qaeda, or even if it will lead to an official endorsement from the global terror group. At the very least, the statement signals a tightening embrace with foreign fighters who have been supporting al Shabaab's efforts to topple the Somali government.

The cooperation also could spur Somali militants to assist al Qaeda elsewhere. Al Shabaab has sent fighters to Afghanistan to train with al Qaeda, according to the Somali government. Al Shabaab recently pledged to send fighters across the Gulf of Aden to Yemen, where al Qaeda is active.

Al Shabaab made its announcement a day after Somali President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed marked his first year in office. The past year has offered little respite from the violence that has rocked Somalia for nearly two decades. In the short term, a combined threat is likely to increase pressure on Mr. Sharif's tenuous government and those trying to stave off its collapse.

The U.S supports Mr. Sharif and is the biggest backer of an African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia, for which it has provided training and equipment. That support reflects concerns that al Qaeda is attempting to establish a base in Somalia to attack Western targets. >>> Sarah Childress | Wednesday, February 03, 2010

Somalia's Al Shabaab to Ally With al Qaeda
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: NAIROBI, Kenya—The militant group al Shabaab said it would ally with al Qaeda in a drive to establish an Islamic state in Somalia and fight for Muslims across East Africa, offering a fresh test for U.S.-backed African peacekeepers struggling to defend a weak Somali government.

In a statement Monday, the group said it had agreed, among other things, "to connect the horn of Africa jihad to the one led by al Qaeda and its leader Sheikh Osama Bin Laden." The statement, written in Somali and Arabic, is believed to be the first explicit confirmation of what U.S. and Somali government have long suspected: Militants in one of Africa's least stable places are sharing resources and merging agendas.

It isn't clear whether this new resolution will result in funding or training from al Qaeda, or even if it will lead to an official endorsement from the global terror group. At the very least, the statement signals a tightening embrace with foreign fighters who have been supporting al Shabaab's efforts to topple the Somali government.

The cooperation also could spur Somali militants to assist al Qaeda elsewhere. Al Shabaab has sent fighters to Afghanistan to train with al Qaeda, according to the Somali government. Al Shabaab recently pledged to send fighters across the Gulf of Aden to Yemen, where al Qaeda is active. >>> Sarah Childress | Monday, February 01, 2010

Recruits Seek Out Al-Qaeda's Deadly Embrace Across a Growing Arc of Jihadist Terror
THE TELEGRAPH: Just two years ago al-Qaeda was believed to be on the back foot. Now the jihadist group is attracting ever more recruits across a growing arc of terror.

Bored, depressed and stuck in a dead-end job, Khaled al-Bawardi. spent just a few hours watching jihadi videos to convince himself that he wanted to fight for militant Islam.

It took another six years in Guantanamo Bay, plus a year in religious rehab in Saudi Arabia, to realise there might be better career options.

“When I was young, I thought these people were angels and we had to follow them,” said Mr Bawardi, formerly Inmate 68 at Guantanamo and one of hundreds of Saudi al Qaeda suspects arrested after the US invasion of Afghanistan. “Now, though, I can see between right and wrong.”

Quietly-spoken, and dressed in a traditional Arab robe and keffiya, Mr Bawardi is an alumnus of the Prince Mohammed bin Nayef Centre for Counselling and Care outside Riyadh, where for the last two years, batches of former Guantanamo inmates have undergone religious “deprogramming” in exchange for their liberty.

With its swimming pool, games rooms and therapy courses such as “10 Steps Toward Positive Thinking”, it resembles a jihadist’s version of London’s Priory clinic. Yet like any rehab programme, it also has its recidivists - and Batch 10, to which Mr Bawardi belonged, is a case in point.

The tenth group of Saudis to be flown back from Guantanamo Bay, no less than five of the original 14 who passed through the programme absconded to neighbouring Yemen to re-embrace terrorism. To the embarrassment of their mentors, and the dismay of Washington, one Batch 10 member, Said al-Shihri, has since re-surfaced as no less than deputy leader of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the movement’s new Yemen-based branch. The group opened up the latest frontier in the war on terror last month, when it claimed to have groomed the so-called Detroit “Underpants Bomber”, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab.

Such “relapses” show how, more than eight years since 9-11, al-Qaeda has confounded its doomsayers with both its resilience and its ever-spreading presence. >>> Reporting team: Richard Spencer in Riyadh, Adrian Blomfield in Sana'a, Mike Pflanz in Nairobi, Ben Farmer in Kabul, Colin Freeman in London, and Sean Rayment, Defence Correspondent | Sunday, January 31, 2010

Global Warming? You Can Blame America for That, Says Bin Laden
MAIL ONLINE: Osama bin Laden blamed the United States and other industrialised countries for causing global warming in an extraordinary message issued yesterday.

In a departure from his usual religious rants, the Al Qaeda leader lectured on the dangers of climate change, claiming the only solution was to 'bring the wheels of the American economy' to a halt.

Rather than vows to inflict death and destruction on the U.S. and its allies, the man behind the September 11 atrocity in New York discussed the environmental future of the planet and monetary policy.

'This is a message to the whole world about those who are causing climate change, whether deliberately or not, and what we should do about that,' he declared.

He blamed Western industrialised nations for hunger, causing flooding and the destruction of fertile ground across the globe.

And he warned solutions must be 'drastic' rather than 'partial'.

Although bin Laden has briefly referred to climate change and global warming in past messages, this fresh audiotape was his first dedicated to the topic.

The speech, which included almost no religious rhetoric, has been interpreted as an attempt by the terror leader to broaden the appeal of his message beyond Islamic militants.

'Talk about climate change is not an ideological luxury but a reality,' he said in the tape released to the Al Jazeera television network, adding: 'All of the industrialised countries, especially the big ones, bear responsibility.'

Bin Laden referred to the fact that while wealthy nations had agreed to the Kyoto Protocol that binds them to emissions targets, former U.S. President George Bush later rejected such limitations in deference to big business.

He called for a boycott of American products and the end of the U.S. dollar as a world currency. >>> Mail Foreign Service | Friday, January 29, 2010

Osama bin Laden Is a Global Warming Fighter?


Bin Laden Deplores Climate Change
AL JAZEERA ENGLISH: Osama bin Laden, the al-Qaeda leader, has condemned the US and other industrial economies, holding them responsible for the phenomenon of climate change.

In an audio tape obtained by Al Jazeera, bin Laden criticised George Bush, the former US president, for rejecting the Kyoto pact and condemned global corporations.

"This is a message to the whole world about those responsible for climate change and its repercussions - whether intentionally or unintentionally - and about the action we must take," bin Laden said.

"Speaking about climate change is not a matter of intellectual luxury - the phenomenon is an actual fact." >>> | Friday, January 29, 2010

Afghanistan: Stanley McChrystal Says Osama bin Laden Must Be Killed to Ensure al-Qaeda Defeat
THE TELEGRAPH: Osama bin Laden must be captured or killed if al-Qaeda is ever going to be defeated, the top US commander in Afghanistan has said.

Gen Stanley McChrystal said bin Laden had become an "iconic figure" among terrorists.

He said President Barack Obama's deployment of 30,000 extra troops to Afghanistan meant success was possible.

But he said the mission was "undeniably difficult" and the next 18 months would be crucial.

"I don't think that we can finally defeat al Qaeda until he's captured or killed," Gen McChrystal told a Senate committee.

At the same time, he cautioned that killing or capturing the Saudi-born leader of the group that mounted the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States would not by itself dismantle al-Qaeda. >>> | Wednesday, December 09, 2009

Osama bin Laden: Sunflower Enthusiast with a Passion for Fast Cars
THE TELEGRAPH: Osama bin Laden's first wife has given a revealing insight into the complex character of the man behind the world's most wanted terrorist.

Najwa bin Laden has published a memoir claiming he was a contradiction of personality traits.

She reveals he was a disciplinarian who would beat his children for showing too many teeth when they smiled, but maintained a passion for sunflowers and fast cars his first wife has said.

He also banned the use of electrical appliances in his home and tried to toughen up his sons by making them climb desert mountains without water.

Details from the home life of the founder of al Qaeda have emerged in the book Najwa has written with his fourth son Omar.

Growing Up Bin Laden charts his journey from teenage newly-wed to the face of international terrorism, revealing along the way that he was fond of mangos and the BBC.

Alongside details of his domestic life, the memoir portrays a man who became increasingly severe as he was pursued by the Western powers. >>> Ben Farmer in Kabul | Friday, October 16, 2009

Bin Laden Warns U.S. on Israel Ties: Website
REUTERS: DUBAI - Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden warned the American people over their government's close ties with Israel in an apparently new audio tape posted on an Islamist website on Monday.

"The time has come for you to liberate yourselves from fear and the ideological terrorism of neo-conservatives and the Israeli lobby," Bin Laden's latest tape said.

"The reason for our dispute with you is your support for your ally Israel, occupying our land in Palestine."

The message, entitled "A statement to the American people," was around 11 minutes long and was posted a few days after the eighth anniversary of the Sept 11, 2001 attacks.

Reuters was not immediately able to verify its authenticity but the website often is used by supporters of al Qaeda.

In the tape, the al Qaeda leader said there had been no real change in American policy because U.S. President Barack Obama had retained people like U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates from the administration of former President George W. Bush.

"If you think about your situation well, you will know that the White House is occupied by pressure groups," Bin Laden said.

"Rather than fighting to liberate Iraq -- as Bush claimed -- it (the White House) should have been liberated."

The website had said earlier this month it would soon carry a "present" to Muslims from bin Laden on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan. >>> Reporting by Andrew Hammond; editing by Michael Roddy | Monday, September 14, 2009

Latest bin Laden Audio Tape Released
TIMES ONLINE: A new audio tape from Osama bin Laden warning the American people over their government's close ties to Israel has been released by al- Qaeda's media branch, according to a US-based terror monitoring group.

The terror group's As-Sahab Media released a video featuring a still image of bin Laden and a 10 minute long audio statement entitled "A statement to the American people", said the organisation IntelCenter.

The release came two days after the United States marked the eighth anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks which killed nearly 3,000 people.

On the audiotape, bin Laden said that among "some other injustices," US support for Israel motivated Al-Qaeda to launch the 9/11 attacks.

He also stated that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were driven by the pro-Israeli lobby in the White House and corporate interests, not Islamic militants.

"If you think about your situation well, you will know that the White House is occupied by pressure groups," he said, according to IntelCenter.

"Rather than fighting to liberate Iraq - as Bush claimed - it (the White House) should have been liberated."

He also said that Mr Obama's retention of US Defense Secretary Robert Gates and others from the Bush administration was confirmation of the president's weakness. >>> | Monday, September 14, 2009

In Audio Message, bin Laden Calls Obama 'Powerless'
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: CAIRO -- Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden described President Barack Obama as "powerless" to stop the war in Afghanistan, and Americans' inability to grasp why the Sept. 11 attacks occurred has "cost you a lot without any result whatsoever."

The remarks by the terrorist leader were released two days after the eighth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks that he ordered. Mr. bin Laden typically addresses the American people in a message timed around the Sept. 11 anniversary.

Mr. bin Laden, who is believed to be hiding in the mountainous region along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, said current White House officials are merely following the strategy of former President George W. Bush and former Vice President Dick Cheney to "promote the previous policies of fear to market the interest of big companies." "Rather than fighting to liberate Iraq -- as Bush claimed -- it [the White House] should have been liberated," he said.

When Mr. Obama became president and retained many of the Bush administration's military leaders, such as Defense Secretary Robert Gates, "reasonable people knew that Obama is a powerless man who will not be able to end the war as he promised," Mr. bin Laden said.

"If you end the war, so to it," Mr. bin Laden said. "But if it is otherwise, all we will do is continue the war of attrition against you on all possible axes." SITE Intelligence Group, a terrorist-monitoring firm, provided a translation of the tape, which was also translated by The Associated Press.

The al Qaeda leader sought to drive home key grievances often voiced in the Arab and Muslim world, where Washington's policies are seen as blatantly favoring Israel at the expense of the rights of Palestinians and other Arabs.

"We have demonstrated and stated many times, for more than two-and-a-half-decades, that the cause of our disagreement with you is your support to your Israeli allies who occupy our land of Palestine," Mr. bin Laden said. >>> Associated Press | Monday, September 14, 2009

Islam Dreaming – Australia
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Bin Laden: Obama Planted 'Hatred Seeds'
YNET NEWS: Al-Qaeda leader says US president continuing in steps of his predecessor Bush, tells Americans to be prepared for consequences of White House's policies

Bin Laden spoiling celebration. Photo courtesy of YnetNews
Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden said US President Barack Obama had planted seeds for "revenge and hatred" towards the United States in the Muslim world.

"Obama and his administration have planted seeds for hatred and revenge against America," the militant leader said in a recording aired by al-Jazeera television on Wednesday.

Bin Laden said Obama was continuing in the steps of his predecessor George W. Bush and told Americans to be prepared for the consequences of the White House's policies.

The Qatar-based station did not give further details in a news flash. Obama arrived in Saudi Arabia at a start of a tour that will also take him to Egypt where he will deliver a speech to Muslims.

On Tuesday, al-Qaeda's deputy leader criticized the upcoming speech, saying it will not change the "bloody messages" the US military is sending Muslims in Iraq and Afghanistan.

His bloody messages were received and are still being received by Muslims, and they will not be concealed by public relations campaigns or by farcical visits or elegant words," said Ayman al-Zawahri, al-Qaeda's No. 2, in a new audio message posted on militant Web sites.

Al-Zawahri said the Egyptian officials who will welcome Obama are US "slaves" and have turned the country into an "international station of torture in America's war on Islam." He was likely referring to suspected Islamic militants who have been captured by the US and sent to Egypt for interrogation, a process known as rendition. >>> News agencies | Wednesday, June 03, 2009

YNET OPINION: Obama-style Orientalism

US administration’s approach sure to lead to another Mideastern clash

If Barack Obama, the “world’s policeman,” is unfamiliar with the Israeli film The Policeman, his Israeli advisor Rahm Emanuel would do well to tell him about one unforgettable scene from Ephraim Kishon’s Oscar-nominated movie: Officer Azoulay “fighting” pedestrians who fail to cross the street at crosswalks and moped drivers who park illegally – he reports to police headquarters that “everything is under control,” while terrible robberies take place right behind his back.

And now, to the moral of the story: North Korea is challenging America on the nuclear front, while Pakistan’s nukes are about to fall into hostile hands. Iran’s Ahmadinejad constantly provokes the West and threatens to eliminate Israel. Obama’s PR team is looking for a way to market the withdrawal from the divided and bleeding Iraq as an achievement of creating a new democracy, and the Taliban in Afghanistan – which was ostensibly “defeated” by the US – is suddenly alive and kicking again.

Yet despite all this, policeman Azoulay-Obama is preoccupied with the “obstacle for peace in the Middle East,” demanding that Netanyahu curb settlement activity and remove illegal outposts. In exchange for this, Obama demands that Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas put an end to Palestinian incitement… If this is the innovative and creative approach promised to dwellers of the Middle East by Obama’s advisors and Mideast experts, we shall soon be longing for the bad old times.

Only four months after being sworn in, the Free World’s leader is again embarking on a predetermined American collision course. Obama chooses to walk the same path as his predecessors in the White House, while using the same terms and statements and adopting the same static and dull way of thinking.

The US, and only the US, is responsible for the fact that initiatives to advance peace in our region have reached a dead-end. For years now, various American leaders have endorsed a patronizing approach, premised on assessments which Palestinian Academician Edward Said dubbed “Orientalism” in the 1970s. Today, this approach is summed up by the statement: “Be quiet, we know what’s good for you.”

Moreover, for years now, several US secretaries of state have been held captive by several “moderate” Arab states such as Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Morocco, which have been demanding an American price tag for their “moderation.” This comes in the form of heavy pressure on Israel to grant gestures and concession to the Palestinians, based on the false expectation that the Palestinian will also “moderate” later on. >>> Moshe Elad | Tuesday, June 02, 2009

Col. (res.) Moshe Elad is a lecturer at the Western Galilee Academic College

THE TELEGRAPH: Osama bin Laden Tape Overshadows Barack Obama's Attempts to Engage Middle East

President Barack Obama's arrival in the Middle East to build a better US relationship with the Muslim world has been overshadowed by the release of a new tape from Osama bin Laden.

The recording emerged just as Mr Obama arrived in Saudi Arabia at the start of a Middle East tour aimed at improving ties with Middle East countries.

The al-Qaeda leader claimed United States policy had led to a campaign of "killing, fighting, bombing and destruction" in the Swat area of north-west Pakistan and Americans would "reap what the White House leaders have sown".

he release of the audio tape appeared to be timed to undermine Mr Obama's attempts to restart the Arab-Israeli peace process.

Bin Laden said: "Elderly people, children and women fled their homes and lived in tents as refugees after they have lived in dignity in their homes. Let the American people be ready to reap what the White House leaders have sown.

"Obama and his administration have sown new seeds to increase hatred and revenge on America. The number of these seeds is equal to the number of displaced people from Swat Valley." >>> By Richard Spencer in Cairo and Toby Harnden in Washington | Wednesday, June 03, 2009

ZEIT ONLINE: Al-Qaida ruft zum Widerstand gegen Obama auf

Die Islamisten warnen vor der Kairoer Rede des US-Präsidenten an die islamische Welt mit drastischen Worten: Obama sende "blutige Botschaften"

Der Vizechef der Extremisten-Organisation al-Qaida hat die ägyptische Bevölkerung dazu aufgerufen, nicht auf die "geschliffenen Worte" von US-Präsident Barack Obama bei seiner Rede in Kairo hereinzufallen. "Ägyptens freies, gerechtes und ehrenvolles Volk: Stehe vereint vor diesem Kriminellen", sagte der gebürtige Ägypter Ajman al-Sawahri in einer Audio-Botschaft. Obamas blutige Botschaften würden nicht verdeckt durch Kampagnen in der Öffentlichkeit, theatralische Besuche oder geschliffene Worte. >>> © ZEIT ONLINE, kg, dpa, Reuters | Mittwoch, 03. Juni 2009

TIMES ONLINE: Osama bin Laden Emerges to Attack Barack Obama for ‘Antagonising Muslims’

Osama bin Laden emerged from the shadows yesterday to deliver a scathing attack on President Obama minutes after the US leader landed in Saudi Arabia to begin his landmark visit to the Middle East.

In advance of Mr Obama’s keenly awaited speech to the Islamic world in Cairo today, bin Laden accused him of “antagonising Muslims” and inflaming hatred against America by backing Pakistan’s recent crackdown on militants in the Swat Valley.

Bin Laden’s message came a day after his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, surfaced to attack the White House’s new incumbent. Middle East analysts say the two tapes indicate growing concern in al-Qaeda’s leadership about Mr Obama’s arrival on the world stage when their influence over the increasingly splintered terror network is waning.

As Mr Obama held talks with King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, after landing in Riyadh, the al-Qaeda leader’s audiotape was being broadcast on news channels globally. It is his third public message this year but the first time he has used such murderous and threatening language against Mr Obama. >>> Tim Reid in Washington | Thursday, June 04, 2009

Holy War – Jihad – جهاد
Part 1:


Part 2:

New Dark Age Alert! Afghanistan und Pakistan: Wenn wir nicht zum Krieg gehen, kommt er zu uns
WELT ONLINE: Es wäre eine weltweite Apokalypse: Atomwaffen in der Hand von Osama bin Laden. Das zeigt, dass es in Afghanistan und Pakistan für den Westen um alles geht. Dort entscheidet sich in diesen Monaten, ob die Islamisten die Erde erben oder ob der Weltentwurf des Westens noch eine Chance hat.

Die Situation in Afghanistan und Pakistan zeigt dem Westen die Grenzen seiner Macht. Bild dank der Welt
Was als Blitzkrieg begann in den Bergen Afghanistans, Antwort auf die Zerstörung des World Trade Center in New York, ist zum Abnutzungskrieg geworden und reicht weit über das Land am Hindukusch hinaus. Deutschland kann sich dem nicht entziehen. Das neue Codewort der Obama-Strategie in Südasien heißt AfPak. Es zeigt an, dass der Afghanistan-Konflikt bei genauer Betrachtung aus vier Kriegen jeweils verschiedener Art besteht. Sie verschließen sich einfachen Lösungen, sind indessen für die Sicherheit der USA und der Alliierten, eingeschlossen Deutschland, entscheidend.

Da ist zuerst der Krieg in Afghanistan, wo die Isaf-Truppen noch immer hinreichend Unterstützung finden in der Bevölkerung, die allerdings ethnisch zerklüftet und zerrissen ist, der eigenen Regierung nicht traut und überleben will, notfalls durch Geschäfte mit beiden Seiten. Dahinter erstreckt sich der Grenzkonflikt in den unwegsamen, unregierbaren Regionen Westpakistans, wo die al-Qaida ihre Sanktuarien findet und die Amerikaner nicht kämpfen dürfen, die Pakistaner kaum können.

Damit verbunden ist, drittens, der Kampf auf Leben und Tod in Pakistan zwischen den Dschihadisten und einer schwachen Regierung, die Armee und Geheimdiensten kaum trauen kann. Zuletzt und vor allem geht es um den Kampf der USA an der Hightech-Front gegen die al-Qaida und deren gewalttätige Verbündete. Der Schlüssel liegt weiterhin in der Frage, wem Afghanistan gehört. Dort entscheidet sich in diesen Monaten, ob die Islamisten die Erde erben oder ob der Weltentwurf des Westens noch eine Chance hat.

„Graveyard of Empires“ (Totenacker der Imperien) nannten die Briten das unwegsame Land, als sie noch über Indien herrschten und den Khyberpass gegen die Russen behaupteten. Den Russen wurde Afghanistan zum Trauma, vor 30 Jahren Anfang vom Ende ihres Imperiums. Gegenwärtig entscheidet sich die Zukunft Pakistans in Afghanistan, die Zukunft Afghanistans in Pakistan. Für Amerika und die Verbündeten geht es um den höchsten Einsatz im zentralen Krieg des neuen Zeitalters. Damit verbunden ist der Preis aller Preise: etwa 60 nukleare Gefechtsköpfe, gegenwärtig noch unter verlässlicher Kontrolle der pakistanischen Armee – aber wie lang? In der Hand Osama Bin Ladens und seiner Leute würde daraus das Instrument der weltweiten Apokalypse. >>> Von Michael Stürmer | Sonntag, 10. Mai 2009

Nehru's Great-grandson Arrested in India
Photo of Varun Gandhi courtesy of Google Images
THE INDEPENDENT: The great-grandson of India's first prime minister was arrested today as police investigated charges against him of making hate speeches and inciting violence against Muslims ahead of national elections, a court official said.

A political furor erupted after Varun Gandhi, 29, was filmed comparing a rival Muslim politician to Osama bin Laden and threatening to cut the throats of Muslims at two political rallies earlier this month.

Gandhi belongs to the powerful Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, which has produced three prime ministers over six decades and has long promoted a secular government and tolerance for religious minorities. However, he is a member of the opposition Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party.

Gandhi drove through the streets of Pilibhit, a town in the state of Uttar Pradesh where he is seeking a parliamentary seat, accompanied by thousands of supporters waving saffron Hindu flags. Pilibhit is about 135 miles east of New Delhi.

He then turned himself in at the court, said Chief Judicial Magistrate Nitin Kumar. He will be jailed until Monday, when he can seek release on bail, Kumar said.

If convicted, Gandhi could be disqualified from running for office and imprisoned for up to three years. >>> By Biswajeet Banergee, Associated Press | Saturday, March 28, 2009

British-run Orphanage in Bangladesh 'Is Islamist Training Camp'
Green Crescent madrassa and orphanage was being used as a training camp for Islamic militants. Photo courtesy of TimesONline
TIMESONLINE: An orphanage run by a British charity in Bangladesh has been raided by local security forces who say that it was being used as a training camp and arms factory for Islamic militants.

The Rapid Action Battalion said today that it had arrested four people, including a teacher and three caretakers, and was searching for the head of the charity, a British citizen known only as Faisal.

The arrests came after a raid yesterday on the Green Crescent madrassa and orphanage on the remote southern island of Bhola, Lt Col Munir Haque, an officer involved in the operation, told The Times.

“We found small arms – about nine or 10 in total – plus equipment to make small arms, about 3,000 rounds of ammunition, two walkie-talkies, two remote control devices and four sets of army uniforms,” he said.

“We also found enough explosives and other equipment to make several hundred grenades. We found some ordinary Islamic books, but others that are in line with extremists like bin Laden.” >>> | Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Bin Laden: Topple Somalia's Leader
AL JAZEERA: Osama bin Laden, the leader of al-Qaeda, has called on the people of Somalia to overthrow Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, their president.

Bin Laden made his comments in an audio recording that was posted on a website on Thursday.

He described Sheikh Ahmed as a person who disowns Islam.

As-Sahab, al-Qaeda's media company, released the tape entitled Fight on, champions of Somalia, in which Bin Laden said: "He [Sheikh Ahmed] must be dethroned and fought."

Bin Laden compared Sheikh Ahmed to Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president, Burhanuddin Rabbani, a former Afghan president, and Ahmed Shah Massoud, a prominent commander who fought during a 10-year war against Soviet occupation in Afghanistan.

"These sorts of presidents are the surrogates of our enemies and their authority is null and void," the Bin Laden said. >>> Al Jazeera and agencies | Thursday, March 19, 2009

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Bin Laden: Gaza Offensive a Holocaust
YNET NEWS: Osama Bin Laden slams Arab leaders for 'collaborating with Israel,' failing to stop Gaza op

Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden accused several Arab countries of collaborating with Israel in a new audio recording aired by al-Jazeera Saturday.

"It's clear that a number of Arab leaders have collaborated with the Zionist-crusader coalition against our people," Bin Laden said.

He also dubbed Israel's offensive in Gaza a "holocaust" and blamed Arab leaders for not doing enough to stop the fighting. He did not name any specific countries.

"The disaster in Gaza is an important historical event. It is a sudden disaster that constitutes a significant milestone. The path to al-Aqsa mosque requires true and honest leadership," he said.

The Qatar-based Arabic satellite network did not say how it obtained the recording, and the authenticity of the tape could not be verified. >>> Roee Nahmias and AP | Saturday, March 14, 2009

LA REPUBBLICA.it: Bin Laden accusa i leader arabi
"Complici di Israele contro Islam"

Nuovo messaggio audio del capo di Al Qaeda su Al Jazeera
"Collaborano con l'alleanza tra crociati e sionisti"

ROMA - Osama Bin Laden torna a far sentire la sua voce. Il leader di Al Qaeda ha accusato, in un nastro audio trasmesso dalla tv al Jazeera, alcuni leader arabi di complottare con l'occidente contro i musulmani. ''E' chiaro - dice Bin Laden nella registrazione - che alcuni leader arabi sono stati complici dell'alleanza tra crociati e sionisti contro la nostra gente. Questi leader sono proprio quelli che l'America definisce moderati''. >>> | Sabato 14 Marzo 2009

BERLINER ZEITUNG: Bin Laden fordert Mord an moderaten Araber-Führern

Kairo/Washington - Der weltweit meist gesuchte Terrorist, Osama bin Laden, hat in einer neuen Audio-Botschaft zum Mord an gemäßigten arabischen Führern aufgerufen.

«Die Herzen unserer Herrscher sind wie die unserer Feinde», sagte Chef des Terrornetzes El Kaida laut einer Abschrift des auf islamistische Webseiten spezialisierten IntelCenters mit Sitz nahe Washington. «Euch den Hals durchzuschneiden, ist mithin eine religiöse Verpflichtung», heißt es demnach in der am Samstag vom arabischen Fernsehsender Al-Dschasira ausgestrahlten Botschaft. Ob die Botschaft wirklich von Bin Laden stammt, war laut dem Sender zunächst aber unklar. >>> © dpa | Samstag, 14. Marz 2009

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