Bin Laden talking again
Al-Qaeda leader’s propaganda effort can’t mask group’s radical, murderous nature
In the past six months Osama Bin Laden ended his silence, which lasted almost three years. Since that point he released five tapes that include propaganda messages for his followers. The reason for the change is unclear at this time, but there are several conjectures that may explain it.
One possible explanation is the sense of crisis of the al-Qaeda in Iraq group, which has been retreating in the face of joint pressure by the Americans and local powers. In one of his tapes, Bin Laden called on Muslims in Iraq to avoid internal friction that would play into the hands of their enemies.
Another explanation has to do with an internal struggle taking place within al-Qaeda, between the Egyptians and Saudis, which may reflect a contest for organizational supremacy pitting Bin Laden against his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri. The latter was the only spokesman to release dozens of tapes and messages on behalf of the organization since 2004.
Another explanation may have to do with Bin Laden’s desire to drive a wedge between the US and Europe over the question of Afghanistan, amidst growing violence in this war zone pitting al-Qaeda and the Taliban against NATO forces stationed in the country.
Whatever the reason, in his last tape Bin Laden crafted his messages in an attempt to tarnish America’s image and drive a wedge between the US and European countries on the issue of the continued fighting in Afghanistan. To that end, he directed is messages to European public opinion while showcasing his skills in the theater of psychological warfare. As is customary, he resorted to Orwellian language (double talk), which characterized the approach of organization spokespersons in the past as well.
In his latest tape, Bin Laden presented President Bush as the culprit who bears responsibility for terror attacks that occurred in Europe in the past, and for those that may follow should European countries fail to adopt policies that are different than America’s policy. In order to prove his arguments, Bin Laden chose to present the counterattack launched by the US and its allies in Afghanistan in October 2001 as proof of President Bush’s and his European partners’ malicious policy.
Bin Laden argued that the Afghani Taliban regime was innocent because it did not know about the offensive expected on September 11. He further argued that the Taliban were only attacked because they were Muslim.
Time to unmask the lies
Just like any good propaganda campaign, it relies on an iota of truth meant to grant the entire twisted argument a sense of credibility. Indeed, the US Congress’ report on the September 11 attacks raised the possibility that the Taliban’s leader was not briefed in advance by Bin Laden regarding all the details of the expected attack on the US and its exact timing. However, it is clear that this is not enough to vindicate the Taliban regime. After all, in the roughly five years that passed between Bin Laden’s move to Afghanistan, in 1996, to 2001, Taliban leaders offered him their patronage, as well as their active support. This enabled al-Qaeda to build up its military power and train thousands of terrorists who left Afghanistan in order to carry out lethal terror attacks worldwide.
Taliban leaders were warned countless times, by US diplomats as well as by UN representatives, to end their support for al-Qaeda and curb the terror industry developing in their country so that they would not pay a heavy price for their policy. All these diplomatic inquiries were rejected by the Taliban, who claimed that there was no evidence to prove those claims. In retrospect, the invasion to Afghanistan uncovered all the required evidence, which would be sufficient to convict the Taliban regime and provide a justified reason for toppling it by force.
Meanwhile, Bin Laden’s familiar claim that the Taliban were only attacked because they were Muslim is completely unfounded. It is clear that any other regime, regardless of its religion, that would have offered blatant and ongoing patronage for terrorism, certainly on the scale of the September 11 attacks, would have paid a similar price and its leaders would have been pursued relentlessly.
We should also remember that in the past, in the wake of the murderous attacks in Bali, Madrid, and London, Bin Laden and Zawahiri turned to western public opinion in an effort to circumvent western leaders, using similar arguments regarding the responsibility of the victims and their governments for the carnage. This twisted logic was also presented by al-Qaeda spokesmen to the relatives of many Muslims who were killed in terror attacks. In those cases al-Qaeda used religious justifications that seemingly permit the killing of Muslims who do not adhere to the religious interpretation of global Jihad.
The time has come to unmask this system of lies and double talk spread by al-Qaeda leaders via sweet talk aimed at specific target audiences. We should call their radical and murderous conduct by its real name. Terrorism and mass murder in the name of religion twists the meaning of religion and desecrates God’s name regardless of the religion, creed, or gender of its victims.
Yoram Schweitzer heads the terrorism project at the Institute for National Security Studies
