Poor thang. It seems that things in what he has called the "central battlefield" [Iraq] against the U.S., isn't working out as well as he had hoped it would, especially since General Petraeus has implemented the surge and the new counterinsugency strategies.
So, he issued a new video, encouraging all insurgents to "unite your lines into one"
No biggie, our progress and success is worrying the Democratic politicians also, so bin Laden is in his favorite company.
FLASHBACK to April 19, 2007:
The war in Iraq "is lost" and a US troop surge is failing to bring peace to the country, the leader of the Democratic majority in the US Congress, Harry Reid, said Thursday.How was that premature declaration of defeat working out for you Harry Boy?
"I believe ... that this war is lost, and this surge is not accomplishing anything, as is shown by the extreme violence in Iraq this week," Reid told journalists.
Laura Mansfield is working on translating the whole video and she will post it when she is done, we will also.
It is pretty telling when Richard Clarke, the former White House counterterrorism adviser, now an ABC News consultant says "It's reflective that U.S. tactics are having some success."
Ya think?
Saying he was speaking to "everyone in the Muslim community," bin Laden urged "scholars and leaders of the jihad" to take on the role of uniting the groups "right now."
According to Al Jazeera, the tape was entitled "a message to the people of Iraq".
"Some of you have been lax in one duty, which is to unite your ranks," bin Laden said. "Beware of division ... The Muslim world is waiting for you to gather under one banner."
In the audio recording, entitled "a message to the people of Iraq", bin Laden called on tribal leaders and the leaders of armed groups to initiate an agreement between the different groups.
"The interest of the Islamic nation surpasses that of a group," he said.
"The strength of faith is in the strength of the bond between Muslims and not that of a tribe or that of nationalism."
"Mistakes"
Bin Laden said fighters in Iraq should admit "mistakes" and try to correct them in the interest of unity.
I asked Harry Boy above how that premature declaration of defeat was working out for him, so a quick question to bin Laden here too..... Hows that "central battlefield" working out for you now Osama baby?
Captain's Quarters notes:
Reuters also notes the desperate tone used by Osama bin Laden. In another part of the tape, he tried to remind Iraqi insurgents of the British occupation after the Treaty of Sevres and the Iraqi resistance to it. The key difference is that the Iraqis have now realized that Osama and AQ have taken the colonial role of the British Empire of the 1920s, while the Americans want Iraqi nationalism instead. Osama wants a regional caliphate under his dominion, and the Iraqis want to run their own country -- and have finally realized that that is what the Americans want as well.
We will bring you more on the translation from the rest of the tape as soon as it is out.
[Update] Reuters has more bad news for bin Laden and the Dem politicians... violence in Iraq is now down 70% since June, when the full compliment of troops arrived.
Money quote is from Say Anything today:
Hey Hillary, I guess you can stop ‘suspending your disbelief’ now.
[Update] Excerpts that MEMRI has translated:
Bin Laden Calls On All Jihad Groups to Unite Under One Banner and to 'Keep the Soldiers of Heresy Drinking From the Cup of Bitter Death'; Advises Them to Avoid Blind Obedience to Individuals, Organizations, and HeroesOn October 23, 2007, the Islamic website Al-Hesbah, hosted by NOC4Hosts Inc. in Tampa, Florida, posted a 34-minute video featuring a new address by Osama bin Laden titled "To Our People in Iraq." In the video, produced by Al-Qaeda's media company Al-Sahab, bin Laden praises the jihad fighters in Iraq for their steadfast struggle against the "Crusader" occupation, which, he says, has brought honor to the Islamic nation. He adds that the jihad fighters will redraw the map of the region, and that the great Islamic state will be established. Addressing the Muslim scholars, jihad commanders, and tribal sheikhs, he urges them to unite their ranks, and to resolve all differences based on Islamic shari'a. Those who err or sow division among the Muslims, he adds, should be tried according to Islamic law. Lastly, bin Laden criticizes the phenomenon of jihad fighters who blindly follow the orders of their organizations and commanders, forgetting that infallibility is a virtue that only Allah and the Prophet possess.
The following are excerpts from the address:
"The Map of the Region Will Be Redrawn by the Jihad Fighters"
"Oh people of Iraq, you have girded your loins and leapt into the thick of this terrible battle, without fear of its [horrendous] weapons. You have withstood the fighting and have braved the blows of the sword, as did your righteous and free forefathers, who preferred death over heresy, humiliation, and shame... You stood firm in the war against Bush and his rabble... The entire world looked on in awe, overjoyed and impressed to see the oppressive U.S. and its armies shattered by your blows, its battalions crushed by your attacks, and its regiments destroyed by your companies. The thing that astonished people most was to see your heroes carrying our martyrdom operations... and sacrificing themselves... - young men who have not seen their twentieth year, yet whose swords are sharp and whose spears are strong... The jihad fighters have crushed the skulls of the polytheists and shattered their illusions. The jihad fighters are the ones who receive from Allah the greatest reward... They have lifted up the head of the nation and restored its honor...
"Oh jihad fighters... the entire world is following your glorious victories. It knows that history has entered a new era of great changes, that the map of the region will be redrawn by the jihad fighters, and that the artificial borders laid down by the Crusaders will be obliterated. [Then] the state of truth and justice will be born - the great state of Islam that will stretch from ocean to ocean.
"The infidels are coordinating their efforts on all levels - international, regional and local - in order to prevent the establishment of the Islamic state... We witnessed this with our own eyes when the enemy prevented the establishment of an Islamic state after the defeat of the Russians in Afghanistan. When the Taliban founded their state, [the enemy] boycotted it, and then attacked and destroyed it. When Sudan declared that it would begin to implement the Islamic shari'a, the global heresy coordinated efforts with the countries of the region that are cooperating with it, and exerted pressure on Sudan until it withdrew from its position... [Recently,] the governor of Riyadh [province] tried once again to persuade Sudan to comply with the demand of the atheist U.N. to [allow the deployment] of Crusader forces in Darfur. This is nothing short of occupation, which no [Muslim] - except for an apostate - would promote or accept. All Muslims in Sudan and in the region, especially in Saudi Arabia, must embark upon jihad against the Crusader invaders, and launch an armed [struggle] against those who allowed them to [invade] and usurp [the government]..."
"The Muslims Expect All [Jihad Fighters] to Unite Under One Banner"
"My brothers the jihad fighters in Iraq... you have performed, in an exemplary manner, one of the duties that few perform, namely the expulsion of an invading enemy. However, some of you have tarried in performing another glorious duty, namely [the duty of] uniting your ranks. Allah loves [those who unite], for it is said: 'Surely Allah loves those who fight in His way in ranks as if they were a firm and compact wall [Koran 61:4].' [It is also said:] 'And hold fast by the covenant of Allah all together and be not disunited, and remember the favor of Allah on you when you were enemies, then He united your hearts so by His favor you became brethren [Koran 3:103].' And Allah's messenger said: 'You must unite and guard yourselves against disunity, for the Devil closely accompanies the solitary individual, and is more distant from two, and he who wishes to enjoy Paradise must seek [unity]'...
"My brothers the jihad commanders, the Muslims expect you to unite under one banner in order to make the truth become a reality... You must be thorough in observing this great commandment... Faithful men of knowledge and honor must make every effort to unite the ranks of the jihad fighters, and must never tire of following the path towards [unity]..."
"Any Issue or Dispute Must Be Brought Before Allah and His Messenger"
"There is a question on which I would like my brothers' advice, specifically, the mistakes that are occurring among brothers. Allah said: 'Lo! The noblest of you, in the sight of Allah, is the best in conduct [Koran 49:13],' and the Prophet said, 'The most honored people are those who fear Allah'... This is our standard: our faith in [the ability] of people to perform [the duty of] da'wa and jihad corresponds to the measure of their piety, and not to their family ties, lineage, or organizational affiliation... To err is part of human nature, and the Prophet said: 'All men err, and the best of those who err are those who repent'... This is the way of the believers, while the sick of heart prey upon the weakness and mistakes of the jihad fighters, exaggerating [their significance], and frequently designating them as 'the fruits of the jihad ritual' [or calling them] 'violence' and 'terrorism' - Allah help them...
"Jihad fighters are the sons of the [Islamic] nation, just like the pilgrims and worshippers. Like them, they are sometimes in the right, and sometimes in the wrong. Whoever is accused with an offense punishable by shari'a is put on trial, and there is no need for strife among the Muslims who follow the word of Allah and His Messenger. Any issue or dispute must be brought before Allah and His Messenger, for it is said: 'If ye have a dispute concerning any matter, refer it to Allah and the Messenger if ye are [in truth] believers in Allah and the Last Day. That is better and more seemly in the end [Koran 4:59].' Bringing disputes before Allah and His Messenger is a sign of faith, while avoiding this is a sign of heresy...
"The religious scholars, the jihad commanders and the tribal sheikhs must make efforts to [arbitrate] between any two groups that are in dispute, and to judge their case according to the laws of Allah. The two groups, [on their part], must obey the [ruling] of the faithful and knowledgeable [arbiters]. But take care, and do not to seek rulings from judges and religious scholars of the [forces] of evil - particularly those of Saudi Arabia. [These scholars and judges] forbid the mujahideen to fight the army and police force of collaborators such as 'Alawi, Al-Ja'fari and Al-Maliki, [1] even though they know that [these figures] have been, and still are, tools in the hands of the American occupation and that they help [the Americans] fight the Muslims, which is blatant apostasy..."
"It is Faith that Unites the Muslims As Brothers - Not Tribal, National, or Organizational Affiliations"
"Finally, I advise myself, the Muslims at large, and particularly all Al-Qaeda [members], wherever they are, to refrain from fanatically [following] figures, organizations or heroes - for truth [lies only] in the words of Allah and His Prophet... Take care not to grasp this in theory only, while in practice doing the opposite... Whenever someone says anything, examine his words against the Koran and the Prophet's Sunna, and adopt whatever corresponds to the truth while discarding everything that contradicts it... It is faith that unites the Muslims as brothers - not tribal, national or organizational affiliations. The interests of the group supersede those of the individual, the interests of the Muslim state supersede those of the group, and the interests of the [Muslim] nation supersede those of the state. We must implement these principles in practice in our lives...
"I reiterate this to the jihad fighters [in Iraq] in order to counter the growing [tendency] that has appeared among them, [namely] to assign great weight to the orders of the group and its commanders, to the extent that some [of these people] have come to regard these orders as [representing absolute] truth. In practice, they regard [these orders] as infallible, even though, in theory, they believe that infallibility is a virtue that only Allah's Messenger possesses. Such a person becomes a fanatical [follower] of his group and its commanders, instead of obeying a Koranic verse or a hadith from the Sunna of Allah's Messenger - and this is clearly a deviation from the correct path... Those who act in ways that contradict the Prophet's shari'a, secretly or openly, must beware, for they [expose themselves to the danger] of fitna... Beware your enemies, and particularly the hypocrites who infiltrate your ranks in order to generate fitna among the jihad fighters. Those who do this must be put on trial..."
"It is Preferable to Face Death Than to Turn One's Back On It, and a Stab in the Neck is More Honorable than a Stab in the Back..."
"Oh noble and free tribes, your faith has led you to oppose the presence of the Byzantine infidels on Iraqi soil... You have resolved to fight them to the death, and he who thirsts for death is rewarded with [eternal] life. You have inflicted many fatalities upon the enemy, and have fought them so effectively that they have become prisoners in their own bases and in the Green Zone out of fear of [your attacks]. Keep the soldiers of heresy drinking from the cup of bitter death, and do not let even one of them remain on Iraqi soil. [Remember that] your attacks and struggle are in defense of the nation's faith...
"At this time, I wish to mention in particular our people in Diyala, who are resisting the attack of the infidels and their collaborators. Your steadfast [fighting] today, despite the danger of death, is a treasure that will serve you tomorrow, on the Day of Judgment... It is preferable to face death than to turn one's back on it, and a stab in the neck is more honorable than a stab in the back...
"Oh people of Iraq... Oh defenders of Islam, Oh Turkish, Kurdish and Arab [heroes], the infidels' situation is precarious, and soon they will flee... Be steadfast, and may Allah have mercy upon you... Do not shame the Muslim [nation] on this day... Be strong and put [all] your efforts [into jihad]. There is no escaping death. May my soul be your expiation."
Others discussing this:
Take Our Country Back, Hot Air, The Jawa Report, Say Anything and Counterterrorism Blog.
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