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Full Text of Bin Laden Tape
In case you missed it:
Text of previous messages from Bin Laden
By The Associated Press
01/19/06 "ICH" -- -- The following is the full text of a new
audiotape from al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. Parts of the
tape were aired on Al-Jazeera television, which published the
entire version on its Web site. The text was translated from the
Arabic by The Associated Press.
Bin Laden appears to be addressing the American people:
My message to you is about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and
how to end them. I did not intend to speak to you about this
because this issue has already been decided. Only metal breaks
metal, and our situation, thank God, is only getting better and
better, while your situation is the opposite of that.
But I plan to speak about the repeated errors your President
Bush has committed in comments on the results of your polls that
show an overwhelming majority of you want the withdrawal of
American troops from Iraq. But he (Bush) has opposed this wish
and said that withdrawing troops sends the wrong message to
opponents, that it is better to fight them (bin Laden's
followers) on their land than their fighting us (Americans) on
our land.
I can reply to these errors by saying that war in Iraq is raging
with no let-up, and operations in Afghanistan are escalating in
our favor, thank God, and Pentagon figures show the number of
your dead and wounded is increasing not to mention the massive
material losses, the destruction of the soldiers' morale there
and the rise in cases of suicide among them. So you can imagine
the state of psychological breakdown that afflicts a soldier as
he gathers the remains of his colleagues after they stepped on
land mines that tore them apart. After this situation the
soldier is caught between two hard options. He either refuses to
leave his military camp on patrols and is therefore dogged by
ruthless punishments enacted by the Vietnam Butcher (U.S. army)
or he gets destroyed by the mines. This puts him under
psychological pressure, fear and humiliation while his nation is
ignorant of that (what is going on). The soldier has no solution
except to commit suicide. That is a strong message to you,
written by his soul, blood and pain, to save what can be saved
from this hell. The solution is in your hands if you care about
them (the soldiers).
The news of our brother mujahideen (holy warriors) is different
from what the Pentagon publishes. They (the news of mujahideen)
and what the media report is the truth of what is happening on
the ground. And what deepens the doubt over the White House's
information is the fact that it targets the media reporting the
truth from the ground. And it has appeared lately, supported by
documents, that the butcher of freedom in the world (Bush) had
decided to bomb the headquarters of the Al-Jazeera in Qatar
after bombing its offices in Kabul and Baghdad.
On another issue, jihad (holy war) is ongoing, thank God,
despite all the oppressive measures adopted by the U.S Army and
its agents (which is) to a point where there is no difference
between this criminality and Saddam's criminality, as it has
reached the degree of raping women and taking them as hostages
instead of their husbands.
As for torturing men, they have used burning chemical acids and
drills on their joints. And when they give up on (interrogating)
them, they sometimes use the drills on their heads until they
die. Read, if you will, the reports of the horrors in Abu Ghraib
and Guantanamo prisons.
And I say that, despite all the barbaric methods, they have not
broken the fierceness of the resistance. The mujahideen, thank
God, are increasing in number and strength - so much so that
reports point to the ultimate failure and defeat of the unlucky
quartet of Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz. Declaring this
defeat is just a matter of time, depending partly on how much
the American people know of the size of this tragedy. The
sensible people realize that Bush does not have a plan to make
his alleged victory in Iraq come true.
And if you compare the small number of dead on the day that Bush
announced the end of major operations in that fake, ridiculous
show aboard the aircraft carrier with the tenfold number of dead
and wounded who were killed in the smaller operations, you would
know the truth of what I say. This is that Bush and his
administration do not have the will or the ability to get out of
Iraq for their own private, suspect reasons.
And so to return to the issue, I say that results of polls
please those who are sensible, and Bush's opposition to them is
a mistake. The reality shows that the war against America and
its allies has not been limited to Iraq as he (Bush) claims.
Iraq has become a point of attraction and restorer of (our)
energies. At the same time, the mujahideen (holy warriors), with
God's grace, have managed repeatedly to penetrate all security
measures adopted by the unjust allied countries. The proof of
that is the explosions you have seen in the capitals of the
European nations who are in this aggressive coalition. The delay
in similar operations happening in America has not been because
of failure to break through your security measures. The
operations are under preparation and you will see them in your
homes the minute they are through (with preparations), with
God's permission.
Based on what has been said, this shows the errors of Bush's
statement - the one that slipped from him - which is at the
heart of polls calling for withdrawing the troops. It is better
that we (Americans) don't fight Muslims on their lands and that
they don't fight us on ours.
We don't mind offering you a long-term truce on fair conditions
that we adhere to. We are a nation that God has forbidden to lie
and cheat. So both sides can enjoy security and stability under
this truce so we can build Iraq and Afghanistan, which have been
destroyed in this war. There is no shame in this solution, which
prevents the wasting of billions of dollars that have gone to
those with influence and merchants of war in America who have
supported Bush's election campaign with billions of dollars -
which lets us understand the insistence by Bush and his gang to
carry on with war.
If you (Americans) are sincere in your desire for peace and
security, we have answered you. And if Bush decides to carry on
with his lies and oppression, then it would be useful for you to
read the book "Rogue State," which states in its introduction:
"If I were president, I would stop the attacks on the United
States: First I would give an apology to all the widows and
orphans and those who were tortured. Then I would announce that
American interference in the nations of the world has ended once
and for all."
Finally, I say that war will go either in our favor or yours. If
it is the former, it means your loss and your shame forever, and
it is headed in this course. If it is the latter, read history!
We are people who do not stand for injustice and we will seek
revenge all our lives. The nights and days will not pass without
us taking vengeance like on Sept. 11, God permitting. Your minds
will be troubled and your lives embittered. As for us, we have
nothing to lose. A swimmer in the ocean does not fear the rain.
You have occupied our lands, offended our honor and dignity and
let out our blood and stolen our money and destroyed our houses
and played with our security and we will give you the same
treatment.
You have tried to prevent us from leading a dignified life, but
you will not be able to prevent us from a dignified death.
Failing to carry out jihad, which is called for in our religion,
is a sin. The best death to us is under the shadows of swords.
Don't let your strength and modern arms fool you. They win a few
battles but lose the war. Patience and steadfastness are much
better. We were patient in fighting the Soviet Union with simple
weapons for 10 years and we bled their economy and now they are
nothing.
In that there is a lesson for you.
In case you missed it:
Text of previous messages from Bin Laden
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