The Osama Controversy
Can't help wondering why - if he's alive - Osama made an audio tape, not a video. Several possible reasons come to mind:
- He changed his face by plastic surgery and doesn't want anyone to know what he looks like.
- He shaved his beard, put on a pin striped suit, and checked into Claridge's in London. He's been living in plain sight since 9/11. (At least that's what I would have done. Just shows why I'm not a terrorist.)
- The Pentagon really doesn't believe it's his voice, but have put out disinformation.
- He's really dead and Al-Quaeda faked his voice by using computers to edit a tape made of his old tapes.
Any other possibilities? Any votes for one of the above? Just comment below.
Comments
Al Qaeda is a loose knit network of terrorist organiztaions numbering anywhere from a couple of dozen to several score, no one seems to be sure just how many groups there are. Unfortunatley the media has portrayed Al Qaeda as having a hierarchal structure with Bin Laden at the lead. Bin laden, as the militant hero of Islam after using his skills and resources to orchistrate the Soviet defeat, then turned those same skills and resources to develope the network that is Al Qaeda. Bin Laden is certainly a part of some decisions made within the network, but his most significant role has been as a personal symbol. Al Qaeda's front man.
This then is why I've never been convinced Bin Laden is dead. What is better than a living symbol? A Martyred one of course. If Bin Laden had in fact died his body likely would have been trotted all over Al Jazeera in order to anger and rally the faithful. It is exactly the same reason Sharon does not assasinate Arafat no matter how much he would obviously like to.
It is my guess that Bin Laden was seriously injured, probably at Tora Bora and has been unable to make any kind of public statements untill recently. Hence all the oblique, supposed, messages from him over the last year. I would further guess his injuries are very apparent and so, what is likely his first true public statement in more than a year was done without video.
Posted by: Dietz | November 13, 2002 07:31 PM
Or he could be hiding out with Eric Robert Rudolph.
There is another possibility that OBL is alive but under deep cover and the tape is a fake non the less. Produced by some Al Qaeda members unaware OBL is alive.
Posted by: Rick DeMent | November 13, 2002 07:55 PM
I don't know about the last possibility; I'd imagine that sort of thing would be pretty easy to spot using signal-processing equipment. But I hadn't thought of it being disinformation. Why might our folks be doing that? Are we hoping that the real UBL stands up and says, "I'm the REAL Usama Bin Laden"? Or do our folks want to elicit some kind of response from the bad guys? And if so, (a) what kind of response might our folks be hoping for and (b) how can they be sure they'll recognize it when they see it?
No answers, just questions...
Posted by: Solly Ezekiel | November 13, 2002 10:49 PM