Post by peterd on Nov 30, 2007 15:04:36 GMT -8
On November 29, the Islamist website Al-Ekhlaas, hosted by NOC4HOSTS Inc., in Florida U.S.A., posted an audio message from Osama bin Laden, produced by Al-Qaeda's media company Al-Sahab. The message, addressed to the European people, is an attempt to exploit the moral debate on the war in Iraq and Afghanistan currently underway in the West, particularly in Europe. Bin Laden portrays the European leaders as vassals of the U.S., and calls upon Europeans to pressure their governments to withdraw their forces from Afghanistan.
The following are excerpts from the address(1):
In the beginning of his address, bin Laden criticizes the Europeans for participating in the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan following the 9/11 attacks while knowing that the Afghans and their government had in no way been involved in these attacks. He states: "America was aware of this fact, because they [i.e. the Americans] had captured several Taliban ministers and had interrogated them... That is why the Taliban government requested that the U.S. produce evidence in support of their [accusations] prior to the invasion. But America failed to produce any evidence, and insisted on invading [Afghanistan without evidence] – and Europe followed suit..."
"In this war, you combined two injustices... [First], you did not possess even one piece of evidence admissible in court... You destroyed Al-Qaeda's camps, killing some of its members and capturing others, most of them from Pakistan. What, then, is Afghanistan's sin that you continue this unjust war against it? [The Afghans'] only sin is being Muslims. This reveals the extent of the Crusaders' malice towards Islam and its followers.
"Second... you have not observed the ethics and rules of warfare. Most of the intended victims of your attacks are women and children. [Even though] you know that our women do not fight... you kill them, hoping thereby to crush the mujahideen's morale. This will not help you... [because] we are determined... to continue taking our revenge on the unjust and to expel the occupying invaders."
Bin Laden then promises the Europeans that just as the Afghans defeated Great Britain and the Soviets in the past, they will now defeat the Western invaders under the command of Mulla 'Omar and Mansour Dadullah.
He concludes by saying: "The American tide is receding... and soon they will return to their homes beyond the Atlantic, leaving the neighbors to settle their accounts with one another. So it is better for you [Europeans]... to work diligently to end the oppression of the oppressed [i.e. withdraw your forces from Afghanistan]."
The following are excerpts from the address(1):
In the beginning of his address, bin Laden criticizes the Europeans for participating in the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan following the 9/11 attacks while knowing that the Afghans and their government had in no way been involved in these attacks. He states: "America was aware of this fact, because they [i.e. the Americans] had captured several Taliban ministers and had interrogated them... That is why the Taliban government requested that the U.S. produce evidence in support of their [accusations] prior to the invasion. But America failed to produce any evidence, and insisted on invading [Afghanistan without evidence] – and Europe followed suit..."
"In this war, you combined two injustices... [First], you did not possess even one piece of evidence admissible in court... You destroyed Al-Qaeda's camps, killing some of its members and capturing others, most of them from Pakistan. What, then, is Afghanistan's sin that you continue this unjust war against it? [The Afghans'] only sin is being Muslims. This reveals the extent of the Crusaders' malice towards Islam and its followers.
"Second... you have not observed the ethics and rules of warfare. Most of the intended victims of your attacks are women and children. [Even though] you know that our women do not fight... you kill them, hoping thereby to crush the mujahideen's morale. This will not help you... [because] we are determined... to continue taking our revenge on the unjust and to expel the occupying invaders."
Bin Laden then promises the Europeans that just as the Afghans defeated Great Britain and the Soviets in the past, they will now defeat the Western invaders under the command of Mulla 'Omar and Mansour Dadullah.
He concludes by saying: "The American tide is receding... and soon they will return to their homes beyond the Atlantic, leaving the neighbors to settle their accounts with one another. So it is better for you [Europeans]... to work diligently to end the oppression of the oppressed [i.e. withdraw your forces from Afghanistan]."
