MEMI Special Dispatch No. 1074

January 20, 2006 - Special Dispatch No. 1074

Bin Laden in New Audiocassette: Makes a Promise in Advance to Accept and Uphold A Long-Term Truce [if America Offers it To Him] & At the Same Time Threatens New Attacks in the U.S.

On January 19, 2006, Al-Jazeera TV broadcast excerpts from a new audiocassette by Osama bin Laden, in which the Al-Qaeda leader threatens further attacks on the U.S., "immediately with the completion of the preparations.”

At the same time, bin Laden makes a plea to accept and uphold a long term truce under fair conditions [if America offers it to him], which will provide security and stability to both sides and will make it possible to rebuild Iraq and Afghanistan. "We are a nation forbidden by Allah to betray and lie," promises bin Laden.

Contrary to mistranslations in the media, from Al-Jazeera for example, [1] bin Laden did not offer a truce, but made a plea to genuinely uphold one if America offers it to him.

Tomorrow, the subtitled clip will be available on http://www.memritv.org/ .

The following are excerpts from bin Laden's statements on the audiocassette:

"My letter to you refers to the war in Iraq and in Afghanistan, and how to bring about its end. I did not intend to talk with you about this subject because for us, it's a closed matter. Only iron can defeat iron. Our situation, Allah be praised, is improving, while your situation is the opposite, but what brought me to speak are the repeated words of deceit by your president Bush, in his interpretation of the results of public opinion polls amongst you, which showed that the overwhelming majority of your public seeks to withdraw the forces from Iraq - but [Bush] opposed this and said that withdrawing the forces will convey the wrong message to the adversaries, and that it is preferable that we fight them on their soil rather than they fight us on our soil.

"I have an answer to these words of deceit, as follows: The war in Iraq is combusting without cessation, and the [military] operations in Afghanistan are in constant escalation in our favor, Allah be praised, and the Pentagon's numbers indicate an ongoing rise in the number of your killed and wounded, in addition to the huge material damage."

[...]

"... I say that the poll results please those of you who are wise, and that Bush's rejection of the results is a mistake, and that reality shows that the war against America and its allies has not remained limited to Iraq, as Bush claims, but rather Iraq has become a source of attraction and recruitment of qualified forces. On the other hand, the mujahidoun have, with Allah's help, succeeded time after time in breaking through all security measures taken by all the oppressing coalition countries.

Evidence of this is the explosions you have witnessed in the capitals of the most important European countries that are members of this hostile coalition. Any delay in similar operations in America does not stem from lack of ability to break through your security measures. The operations are in the stages of preparation, and you will yet see them, in the heart of your homes, immediately with the completion of the preparations, with Allah's help."

[...]

"Based on the above, it can be clearly seen that Bush's words are false, but what he refrained from saying - and this is the essence of the poll results, which favor troop withdrawal - is that it is better that we do not fight the Muslims on their soil, and they will not fight us on our soil.

"We have no objection to accepting a long-term cease fire under fair conditions which we will uphold. We are a nation forbidden by Allah to betray and lie. Both sides will benefit from such a cease fire, from security and stability, and we will build Iraq and Afghanistan which have been destroyed in the war. There is nothing wrong with this solution, except that it will prevent the flow of hundreds of billions [dollars] to influential individuals and to the merchants of war in America who supported Bush's election with billions of dollars."

[1] http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/593298A0-3C1A-4EB4-B29D-EA1A9678D922.htm

Techorati tags: Al-Qaeda, War, Peace, SITE Institute, Bin Laden, Al-Jazeera, Afghanistan, Iraq, MEMRI, and Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI).