Bin Laden Demands Europe Withdraw Afghanistan Troops
REUTERS: DUBAI - Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden demanded that European nations withdraw their troops from Afghanistan in a new audio tape aired on Friday, saying they were sacrificing men and money in an unjust U.S.-led war.

"We are not demanding anything unjust. It is just for you to end injustice and withdraw your soldiers (from Afghanistan)," he said in the tape, released on the Internet with a background picture of bin Laden and with German and English subtitles.

"One of the greatest injustices is to kill people unjustly, and this is exactly what your governments and soldiers are committing under the cover of the NATO alliance in Afghanistan," bin Laden said in the recording, entitled "A message to the people of Europe."

"An intelligent person does not waste his children and wealth for the sake of a gang in Washington," he said in the four-minute recording produced by al Qaeda's media arm As-Sahab. >>> Reporting by Firouz Sedarat; Editing by Louise Ireland | Friday, September 25, 2009

Bin Laden Warns of Retaliation Against Europe
MIAMI HERALD: CAIRO -- Osama bin Laden demanded that European countries pull their troops out of Afghanistan in a new audiotape Friday, warning of "retaliation" against them for their alliance with the United States in the war.

The al-Qaida leader denounced NATO airstrikes in Afghanistan that have killed civilians and warned that European countries would be held accountable alongside the Americans unless they withdraw from the country.

"A wise person would not waste his sons and money for a gang of criminals in Washington ... In summary, we are not asking too much or an invalid demand, but it would be fair that you lift your oppression and withdraw your troops," bin Laden said, addressing the Europeans.

The audiotape, just under five minutes long, was posted Friday on Islamic militant Web sites. It comes after a series of al-Qaida videos this week that directly addressed Germany, and threatened attacks over Berlin's military mission in Afghanistan. Those videos featured a little-known German-Algerian militant and have raised concerns among German authorities ahead of parliamentary elections.

Bin Laden's tape came as a voice-over on a video that had English and German subtitles translating his speech, along with a still photo of bin Laden in front of a map of Europe.

The al-Qaida leader predicted that American forces would soon pull out of Afghanistan, abandoning their NATO allies, and warned that al-Qaida would then retaliate against the Europeans. It was not clear whether his threat was aimed at European troops in Afghanistan or against European countries themselves. >>> Omar Sinan, Associated Press Writer | Friday, September 25, 2009

Video (Available in German): Bin-Laden-Botschaft: Neue Terror-Drohung an die Völker Europas >>>

Video in deutscher Sprache: Osama bin Laden warnt die Völker Europas
WELT ONLINE: Erstmals meldet sich Osama bin Laden in deutscher Sprache. Zwei Tage vor der Bundestagswahl drängt der Al-Qaida-Chef in einer Video-Botschaft auf einen Abzug der europäischen Truppen aus Afghanistan und rechtfertigt die verheerenden Terroranschläge von Madrid und London.

Zwei Tage vor der Bundestagswahl wendet sich Al-Qaida-Chef Osama bin Laden mit einer auf Deutsch untertitelten Video-Botschaft zurück. In dem Film, der WELT ONLINE vorliegt, wird der deutsche Titel „Die Botschaft von Osama bin Laden an die Völker Europas“ eingeblendet. Bin Laden wird als Standbild gezeigt, während die auf Arabisch gesprochenen Worte in deutscher und englischer Sprache als Untertitel eingespielt werden. Es ist das erste Mal, dass sich der al-Qaida-Chef auf Deutsch an die Öffentlichkeit wendet. Ganz offensichtlich zielt die Botschaft auf die Bundestagswahl am Sonntag ab.

Das Propagandawerk stammt aus der As-Sahab-Medienabteilung. Es ist knapp fünf Minuten lang. Der Terrorchef, zu sehen nur als Standbild, unterbreitet darin seine Analyse des Verhältnisses der Europäer zu den Muslimen und legt seine Sicht der Zukunft der Nato in Afghanistan dar.

Europäische Regierungen und Soldaten würden ohne Grund, “unter dem Deckmantel der NATO in Afghanistan”, Frauen, Kinder und Alte töten. "Obwohl ihr Wissen darüber habt, dass sie in keiner Weise gegen Europa aggressiv waren, noch eine Beziehung zu den Ereignissen in Amerika haben”, heißt es weiter, “warum verletzt ihr also Werte, die ihr als heilig betrachtet wie Gerechtigkeit und Menschenrechte?" Es werde nicht mehr lange dauern, so der Al Qaida Chef, und der Krieg in Afghanistan sei vorbei. Dann werde “nicht mal eine Spur eines Amerikaners dort zu finden sein”. Die USA würden sich hinter den Atlantik zurückziehen. „Bleiben werden dann nur noch wir und ihr“, sagt er an die Adresse der Europäer gerichtet.

Georgien solle den Europäern ein Beispiel für jene Staaten sein, die sich auf Amerika als Nato-Partner verließen. Als die georgische Regierung um Unterstützung gebten habe, “kamen die amerikanischen Kriegssschiffe”. Sie hätten den Georgien allerdings nicht das Erhoffte geracht. Vielmehr seien die Amerikaner gekommen, "um anzubieten was sie nicht brauchten". >>> Von G. Lachmann und U. F. Flade | Freitag, 25. September 2009

Video anschauen: Al-Qaida-Video: Verdächtiger wegen Droh-Video verhaftet >>>

Video anschauen: Terrorismus: Al-Qaida wirbt um deutsche Muslime >>>

Pakistan Discovers 'Village' of White German al-Qaeda Insurgents
THE TELEGRAPH: Investigators have discovered a "Jihadi village" of white German al-Qaeda insurgents, including Muslim converts, in Pakistan's tribal areas close to the Afghan border.

Taliban fighter in al-Qaeda video grab. Photo: The Telegraph
The village, in Taliban-controlled Waziristan, is run by the notorious al-Qaeda-affiliated Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, which plots raids on Nato forces in Afghanistan.

A recruitment video presents life in the village as a desirable lifestyle choice with schools, hospitals, pharmacies and day care centres, all at a safe distance from the front.

In the video, the presenter, "Abu Adam", the public face of the group in Germany, points his finger and asks: "Doesn't it appeal to you? We warmly invite you to join us!"

According to German foreign ministry officials a growing number of German families, many of North African descent, have taken up the offer and travelled to Waziristan where supporters say converts make up some of the insurgents' most dedicated fighters.

The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, which has a foothold in several German cities, has capitalised on growing concern over the rising profile of German forces in Afghanistan. Their role has become increasingly controversial in Germany in recent weeks after dozens of civilians were killed in an air strike ordered by German officers. >>> Dean Nelson in New Delhi and Allan Hall in Berlin | Friday, September 25, 2009

US Agrees to Pull Troops Out of Iraq
THE AUSTRALIAN: NEGOTIATORS have finalised a deal which will see the complete withdrawal of US troops from Iraq by 2011, the top Iraqi heading the team said today.

Under the 27-point deal all US combat troops will be withdrawn from Iraqi cities by next June, said negotiator Mohammed al-Haj Hammoud.

The agreement has already been approved by US President George W. Bush and now needs to be endorsed by Iraqi leaders, he added.

Baghdad and Washington had agreed to "withdraw the US troops from Iraq by end of 2011,'' said Mr Hammoud. US Agrees to Pull Troops Out of Iraq >>> | August 22, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback – Australia)
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Hardback – Australia)

Russia Military Not Quitting Georgia
THE INDEPENDENT: Russia's military has no plans to leave Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia or the buffer zone around it, a senior Russian military official said today.

"We are not planning to leave anywhere...," Anatoly Nogovitsyn, deputy chief of the Russian military's General Staff, told a news conference, when asked if the Russian military would remain in South Ossetia and the surrounding zone.

Meanwhile, Russian forces today took up positions at the entrance to Georgia's main Black Sea port city, excavating trenches and setting up mortars facing the city despite Russia's promise to pull back troops from territory deep inside Georgia.

Several armored personnel carriers and troop trucks blocked the bridge that is the only land entrance to Poti and another group of APCs and trucks were positioned in a nearby wooded area.

Although Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has promised that his forces would pull back by tomorrow, Russian troops appear to be settling in for a long presence, raising concern about whether Moscow is aiming for a lengthy and intimidating occupation of its small, pro-Western neighbor.

Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili told The Associated Press that Russia was thinning out its presence in some occupied towns but was seizing other strategic spots. He called the Russian moves "some kind of deception game."
"(The Russians) are making fun of the world," he declared. Russia Military Not Quitting Georgia >>> AP and Reuters | August 21, 2008

WELT ONLINE:
Georgien - Russland verspricht sofortigen Truppenabzug: Russland will den Truppenabzug beschleunigen: Bis heute Abend soll sich die Armee aus georgischem Kerngebiet zurückziehen. Es sollen aber mindestens 500 Mann in Südossetien stationiert bleiben, um eine Pufferzone zu bilden. Nach Angaben eines US-Militärs gehe der Rückzug allerdings im Schneckentempo voran >>> | 22. August 2008

LE FIGARO:
Mikhaïl Saakachvili : « Moscou a décidé de se mesurer à l'Otan »: Le président géorgien explique au « Figaro » pourquoi la communauté internationale ne devrait pas faire confiance aux promesses du Kremlin >>> Propos recueillis à Tbilissi par Adrien Jaulmes | 21/08/2008

LE FIGARO:
L'ambassadeur de France en
Géorgie bloqué par les Russes: L'ambassadeur de France à Tbilissi, Éric Fournier, a été retenu jeudi pendant deux heures et demie par les forces russes. Paris a jugé l'incident «inacceptable» >>> De Laure Mandeville | 21/08/2008

LE FIGARO:
L'Ossétie du Sud réclame son indépendance: La capitale, Tskhinvali, a été la ville la plus touchée par les offensives croisées des troupes géorgiennes et russes >>> D’Adrien Jaulmes | 21/08/2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Dust Jacket Hardcover, direct from the publishers (US) >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Paperback, direct from the publishers (US) >>>

House of Representatives Votes for Troop Withdrawal in Iraq
BBC: The United States House of Representatives has voted in favour of pulling most combat troops out of Iraq by April next year.

The new legislation calls for the Pentagon to begin withdrawing combat troops within four months.

The vote comes despite President George W Bush's threat to veto any timetable.

Both the House and the Senate must pass separate legislation and then reconcile their two versions for a measure to be passed to the president.

Correspondents say the House of Representatives, controlled by the Democrats, is hoping to pressure the Senate to approve a similar timeline.

It is the third time this year the House has voted in favour of legislation to end US military involvement in Iraq. US House votes for troop pullout (more)

WATCH BBC VIDEO:
US House wants troop pullout

Mark Alexander