Bin Laden Christmas Bombing Tape

osama-bin-laden-sketchSomeone claiming to be the reclusive terrorist leader Osama bin Laden, who for all we know now looks like a Spanish Communist, has released a tape claiming credit for the botched Detroit terror plot.

Al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden claimed responsibility for the Christmas Day airline bombing attempt in Detroit, in a audio message released Sunday, and vowed further attacks on the U.S.

The message suggests that bin Laden wants to show he remains in direct command of al-Qaida’s many branches around the world.

In the short recording carried by the Al-Jazeera Arabic news channel, bin Laden addressed President Barack Obama saying the attack was a message similar to that of Sept. 11 and more attacks against the U.S. would be forthcoming.

“The message delivered to you through the plane of the heroic warrior Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was a confirmation of the previous messages sent by the heroes of the Sept. 11,” he said.

“America will never dream of security unless we will have it in reality in Palestine,” he added. “God willing, our raids on you will continue as long as your support for the Israelis continues.”

Presuming that Osama is still alive and the tape is genuine, it’s quite interesting that he’s now reduced to bragging about horribly botched operations to bolster his credibility.  It would be funnier, of course, if we weren’t massively overreacting to the plot and further snarling our transportation system and curtailing the liberty of our citizens.

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James Joyner
About James Joyner
James Joyner is Professor and Department Head of Security Studies at Marine Corps University's Command and Staff College. He's a former Army officer and Desert Storm veteran. Views expressed here are his own. Follow James on Twitter @DrJJoyner.

Comments

  1. sam says:

    The dude is dead. I’m pretty sure we’ll find out at some point that he had himself Benthamized so he could still attend AQ meetings.

  2. steve says:

    Awfully late response on the part of AQ. Methinks they had a lot of internal debate on this one. It was botched and, lets face it, some guy toasting his nuts is not exactly great recruiting material. I suspect they waited and watched. Since our response was hysterical and overly politicized, they decided it was worthwhile. I suspect they are correct in that assessment. Let me strongly recommend the recent paper put up at SWJ on the information war if you have not read it yet.

    http://smallwarsjournal.com/blog/journal/docs-temp/352-mnfiio.pdf

    Steve

  3. Mr. Prosser says:

    Amen to what all of you have written. The over reaction includes Inhofe’s demands for profiling as well as the silly actions taken at airports. A blond, blue-eyed anarchist squatter from Seattle could easily be recruited by the extremists. I do have a question for Steve concerning his SWJ article: Is there any effort to spread disinformation on the web? It seems to me it would be important to spread distrust among the groups through bogus extremist websites which denounce various groups or individuals as traitors. If most terrorist communication is limited to the web or human couriers wouldn’t it be possible to frame them? Spreading a rumor that Masood the courier is a traitor working for Israel would certainly give the other side pause.

  4. Michael Reynolds says:

    Join Al Qaeda, fry your balls, end up a laughingstock serving a life sentence in a super max prison.

    I think as an advertising pitch it needs some of that Don Draper magic.

  5. steve says:

    Mr. Prosser-This is a broad, policy paper with relatively few specific recommendations. My view, based upon reading this literature a bit, is that both side engage in it some, but it is inherently a better tool for insurgents/non-government actors. It has been a basic tenet of COIN/asymmetrical war, that insurgents are judged by their words, we are judged by our actions. Getting caught in lies, disinformation, has a bigger down side for us.

    The paper concentrates on two parts in developing better information war capabilities. First, organizing our governmental efforts so that we can respond better and faster. Get inside their OODA loop if you will. They also recommend better, positive outreach programs to the Muslim diaspora and to youth alliances which oppose violence. I think it is pretty clear that people like Petraeus understand this stuff, but it is missed by our political class which cannot miss any opportunity to posture. A recent example would be Petraeus wanting the Bible verse references coming off of our rifles. (Sorry for OT James)

    Steve

  6. Mr. Prosser says:

    Thanks for your response. I’m sure the posturing will never go away nor, if the article I read on the details of the hours after the undie bomber was taken into custody are accurate, will the turf wars among the agencies.

  7. Pug says:

    I don’t think they allow female virgins at the Supermax in Florence and the guy who burned his dick in the third degree couldn’t do much with 72 virgins anyway.

    Bad pub for Osama. Yes, I said Osama, not Obama.

  8. donviti says:

    Presuming that Osama is still alive and the tape is genuine, it’s quite interesting that he’s now reduced to bragging about horribly botched operations to bolster his credibility

    Half if not more of Osama’s audience can’t read or write so as long as he is trying to stick it to the man pass or fail he get’s points in their book I’m sure.

    “A” for effort even when it comes to failed suicide missions.

    hecka of a job undie!