DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (Feb. 11) - The Al-Jazeera Arab satellite station broadcast a new audio statement from Osama bin Laden on Tuesday in which he expresses solidarity with the Iraqi people.
I think what's in it for Sadam is just plain revenge, along with the possibility that we wouldn't attack him for fear of terrorism in the future.
Here my take. Saddam and bin Laden don't really see eye to eye for Bin Laden's quest is to create an atmosphere of hate between one faith against the infidels. Saddam is just a plain ass#$ole. Don't forget his society is pretty secular unlike Taliban, and Iran. This tape accomplishes 3 things for OBL. 1-it puts US and Iraq a step closer to war due to the Iraq/Al Queda linkage this tape suggests -no matter how nebulous it is, which is a great recruiting tool for AQ. 2-bin Laden comes out smelling like roses since he is sympathizing with the people of Iraq. Hey how 'bout sympathizing with the tens of thousands of poeple Saddam killed-Kurds, Marsh arabs, political prisoners-majority of whom are of Islamic faith. 3. If US whacks Saddam using this tape as another trigger, he gets rid of a leader who, albeit the biggest tyrant this side of the universe, doesn't share in Bin Ladens vision.
lol... my question is why is this pos still around to make tape recordings? $350 billion/yr. defense budget, over a million military personnel, spy satellites, the latest and greatest technologies, and they can't get one guy? meanwhile they're spending 2 billion a day in Iraq, wasting time insulting and alienating the rest of the civilized world and playing show-and-tell with the UN... it's absurd...
when the first bomb is dropped, bin laden and saddam will go hide and cower in their cave like the infidel DOGS they are!!! this is escalating into a bay of pigs situation...
Here and in your initial post you make certain assumptions about the popularity of SH and AQ that I don't believe the hard evidence justifies, and, even in the sub-cultural groups in which UBL in particular is almost like a pop idol, it's not clear how deep the support really is. As for SH, reports from the Arab world are that he himself is widely loathed, and that very few people would regret to see him brought down. Their feelings about the US are a separate matter, but, as with all human feelings, remain subject to change. The reasons for SH supporting and/or trying to use various terrorist groups are numerous, and many have already been discussed here. Many states in the world, including, much to our shame, the United States, have tried to make use of terrorist groups, often leading to what intelligence fans call "blowback" (taken from the expression for the mess you get on yourself when you shoot someone at close quarters): Some observers and analysts claim that one reason the US has not done more to expose SH's links to terrorists is that some of the evidence either directly exposes US and allied (esp. Saudi) complicity with the same groups, or risks opening up the subject in such a way that it could lead to exposure. If you like reading about such matters, check out DEBKAfiles. I'm not saying I trust everything they say: They tend to be sensationalistic, and they seem to see the world as a particularly ugly Tom Clancy novel - but they do bring up interesting possibilities, do manage to anticipate the major news outlets on the Middle East and terrorism issues, and do offer items that are often worth investigating further. http://www.debka.com/ This article from ASIA NEWS also has some interesting info, more o the subject in general and on certain Asian terror groups - and directly confronts US past complicity: http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/EB04Df04.html
"wasting time insulting and alienating the rest of the civilized world and playing show-and-tell with the UN... it's absurd..." Translation: We're alienating and Insulting FRANCE and GERMANY, and interfering in their money making in IRAQ.
I would disagree with that translation. but even if true, it would make it no better, the argument is nonsensical. does France in your view gain the moral authority to violate international agreements because the US makes money trading with the Chinese? Can Germany insult and dismiss the US as irrelevant because the US makes money trading with brutal dictators in Africa? and should they? there are ramifications when the representatives of the US run around like cartoon characters, provoking even more disregard and strengthening the 'ugly american' stereotype, declaring themselves to be superior and not subject to the rules set for the rest of the world.
Germany and France are the main voice, in opposition, and they are shrill for no coherent reason, other than they are about to be exposed for their collaboration, with Saddam. By the way the Coalition members are 18.