In his latest audio message, bin Laden warns Americans to prepare for war as the policies of Obama are no different from those of former President George W. Bush in the eyes of al Qaeda. Bin Laden makes reference to this spring's violence in the Swat Valley of Pakistan, indicating that he recorded his message relatively recently. (/ABC News)
..."Obama and his administration have planted seeds for hatred and revenge against America," the Saudi-born bin Laden declared, saying Obama was treading in the footsteps of his predecessor.
"Let the American people prepare to continue to reap what has been planted by the heads of the White House in the coming years and decades," bin Laden said....
In the coming years and decades? Huh? Bin Laden has no way of carrying out attacks on the USA anymore. The intelligence in Europe has become too good. The USA now abides by the warnings issued by Great Britain, Germany and Interpol, rather than ignoring them as under Bush/Cheney when the tragedy of September 11th happened.
There have been attempts by al Qaeda since 911 to assault The West in spectacular muscle flexing by that terrorist network and have failed on some occassions. There are terrorists currently in prison in the USA that have been successfully prosecuted.
It is all rhetoric. If Bin Laden had anyway of predicting the acts of his network during the President's visit to the Middle East he would do so. But, to simply try to 'up stage' President Obama is a sign of sincere loss of power and influence in a way that matters.
The Pakistani assault on the militants within their country has profoundly turned whatever sympathy is left for him against any possibility of having influence.
The Taliban hold marginal control over the people of Swat Valley. They rely on an extremist radio Mullah in order to continue to instill fear in people seeking to outwit the Pakistan government and military. I find it odd the Pakistani government hasn't stopped these transmissions. They are akin to the radio transmissions used in the massacres in Rwanda.
Radicalizing the Pashtun Maulana Shah Dauran (click here) is another FM Mullah in Swat who is famous for his harsh and derogatory denunciations of Pakistani politicians, the United States and the coalition of nations involved in the war on terrorism. He typically parodies the Pakistani leadership and specializes in character assassination.
A Taliban leader in Darra Adam Khel, commander Tariq Afridi, has recently launched a pirate FM station which is also considered to be one of the most influential in the area. It is a short-range broadcast that can be heard only within a two-kilometer radius, but its words are taken very seriously. Tariq Afrida has been threatening tribesmen with dire consequences if they dare to raise a lashkar (tribal militia) against the Taliban or help the government against the Taliban in any way....
This is the kind of genocidal leadership The Taliban offered to the people of Swat Valley. Realizing there are millions in refugee camps at this moment is to realize they rather be there than under the control of madmen like the Taliban and al Qaeda. Then to realize the millions displaced to refugee camps are outside that influence is to realize the shrinking populous available to The Taliban and al Qaeda to influence into attacks.
The chaos of war in Pakistan has served the government and not al Qaeda. The radios necessary to have influence to people are no longer turned on or in the listening distance of those that have fled. The Pakistan government should interrupt those transmissions and replace them with instructions to leave Swat and abandon any ideation of violence.
Al Qaeda has lost its footing in Pakistan. They don't have the populous to control, murder and intimidate. The people of Pakistan are freer today. They won't return to the hatred of their government and its ally the USA to return to the fear of living within their own homes.
