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Truce and Consequences
The most intriguing thing about Osama bin Laden's latest tape (aside from his transparent attempt to pretend that he's winning) is the degree to which bin Laden echoes the views of the American left (in which I include the mainstream media). Powerline makes a similar observation:
"It doesn't take a genius to see that things are going very badly for bin Laden and al Qaeda. Where does he turn for hope? To American opinion polls--which, of course, he reads very selectively. Still, think how encouraging it must be to him to read about calls for withdrawal from Iraq by Congressmen like Jack Murtha. It's hard to see much daylight between Murtha's position and bin Laden's: we're losing in Iraq; the American people are tired of the conflict; Iraq is a breeding ground for terrorists; and al Qaeda is less likely to attack us if we just give up and go home. Given his isolation, bin Laden could be excused for believing that he's just one Congressional election away from salvation."
It is quite disheartening that one of the posters on the mini-board, BBarton, seems to think more highly of Bin Laden than of our own government:
"Sadly people, Bin Laden never lied to us in the past. I wish our government were as reliable when it comes to the truth.
"I think the truce offer is real, but I don't think truce is wanted by our government."
Why the government would accept a truce with a terrorist, and one who appears to be on the run, I don't know. But Captain's Quarter's makes this point about Bin Laden's supposed offer of a truce:
“It’s important to remember that a strict Muslim would only honor a truce until he gains the upper hand over an infidel, at which point he would be obligated to renew his jihad. Any offer of truce, either to give one or to accept one, shows that the Muslim believes himself to be at serious disadvantage. That Osama takes the time to discuss a truce in both countries where America has hit his network hard shows that AQ has taken huge body blows. Unlike in 2004, when he used the offer of truce to split the coalition, this time he’s aimed the offer at Americans to try to stop the annihilation of his forces.”
And Captain's Quarters also says that one expert translation of the remarks on the tape shows that Osama isn't actually offering a truce--he's merely saying he might accept if we offered. There's also the question of the tape's timing. The Captain ponders this:
“So why did the audio tape just surface now? An audio-only presentation isn’t exactly unprecedented, but usually only occurs when OBL and his number-two Ayman al-Zawahiri get separated. The latest on the attack in Damadola has Zawahiri escaping the bomb blast, but his media-relations expert dying in his place. It may have been a quickly-made effort to assure AQ operatives around the world that the entire command structure of the terrorist organization did not dissipate in the light of a Hellfire missile.”
BBurton, are you sure you trust this guy?
"It doesn't take a genius to see that things are going very badly for bin Laden and al Qaeda. Where does he turn for hope? To American opinion polls--which, of course, he reads very selectively. Still, think how encouraging it must be to him to read about calls for withdrawal from Iraq by Congressmen like Jack Murtha. It's hard to see much daylight between Murtha's position and bin Laden's: we're losing in Iraq; the American people are tired of the conflict; Iraq is a breeding ground for terrorists; and al Qaeda is less likely to attack us if we just give up and go home. Given his isolation, bin Laden could be excused for believing that he's just one Congressional election away from salvation."
It is quite disheartening that one of the posters on the mini-board, BBarton, seems to think more highly of Bin Laden than of our own government:
"Sadly people, Bin Laden never lied to us in the past. I wish our government were as reliable when it comes to the truth.
"I think the truce offer is real, but I don't think truce is wanted by our government."
Why the government would accept a truce with a terrorist, and one who appears to be on the run, I don't know. But Captain's Quarter's makes this point about Bin Laden's supposed offer of a truce:
“It’s important to remember that a strict Muslim would only honor a truce until he gains the upper hand over an infidel, at which point he would be obligated to renew his jihad. Any offer of truce, either to give one or to accept one, shows that the Muslim believes himself to be at serious disadvantage. That Osama takes the time to discuss a truce in both countries where America has hit his network hard shows that AQ has taken huge body blows. Unlike in 2004, when he used the offer of truce to split the coalition, this time he’s aimed the offer at Americans to try to stop the annihilation of his forces.”
And Captain's Quarters also says that one expert translation of the remarks on the tape shows that Osama isn't actually offering a truce--he's merely saying he might accept if we offered. There's also the question of the tape's timing. The Captain ponders this:
“So why did the audio tape just surface now? An audio-only presentation isn’t exactly unprecedented, but usually only occurs when OBL and his number-two Ayman al-Zawahiri get separated. The latest on the attack in Damadola has Zawahiri escaping the bomb blast, but his media-relations expert dying in his place. It may have been a quickly-made effort to assure AQ operatives around the world that the entire command structure of the terrorist organization did not dissipate in the light of a Hellfire missile.”
BBurton, are you sure you trust this guy?
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