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The Bin Laden Peace Initiative
Captain's Quarters ^ | Jan. 22, 2008 | Ed Morrissey

Posted on 01/22/2008 8:40:49 AM PST by jdm

It's not what you'd think. One of Osama bin Laden's sons -- a former member of al-Qaeda -- has gone public in urging his father to end his terrorism and focus on peace. Omar says more and more Muslims agree:

Omar bin Laden has a message for his father, Osama: "Find another way."

The son of the most-wanted man in the world spoke Sunday to CNN in a quiet, middle-class suburb about an hour outside Cairo, Egypt.

Omar bin Laden, who works as a contractor, said he is talking publicly because he wants an end to the violence his father has inspired -- violence that has killed innocent civilians in a spate of attacks around the world, including those of September 11, 2001. ...

He said that's not just his own message, but one that a friend of his father's and other Muslims have expressed to him. "They too say ... my father should change [his] way," he said.

Osama won't be likely to heed the call, at least not from his son. They haven't spoken since 2000, when Omar rejected AQ and left Afghanistan, although with Osama's blessing. Omar also doesn't consider him a terrorist, but a hero who helped free Afghanistan from Soviet domination -- but says the tactics used then can't apply now.

Will this make a difference? Perhaps. Having one of his sons publicly call for moderate Muslims to step up and demand an end to violent jihad at least provides a counterweight against the more bloodthirsty extremists. Omar's rejection seems rather tepid, though maybe necessarily so in order to gain more momentum.

If the rest of the Muslim world took the same approach, it might make a big difference. (via AJ Strata)


TOPICS: Editorial; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: peaceinitiative; ubl

1 posted on 01/22/2008 8:40:50 AM PST by jdm
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To: jdm

ask your dad to turn himself in, omar


2 posted on 01/22/2008 8:42:38 AM PST by InvisibleChurch (" Nobody likes weepy meat." -- Mayor Quimby)
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To: jdm
I get this feeling that Omar has had recent contacts with someone high up in Al-Qaeda who is trying to find a way out of their complete annihilation. They are turning the whole Muslim world against them with every suicide bomber. I believe at one time Al-Qaeda had a good 70% support base in the Middle-East but now it’s probably no more than 10%.
3 posted on 01/22/2008 8:53:12 AM PST by tobyhill (The media lies so much the truth is the exception)
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To: jdm
A little girl asks her Daddy to send a Valentine's card for her. He looks at the name and sees it's Osama bin Laden.

"Honey," he exclaims. "How can this be? Don't you remember what he did to us?"

"Yes Daddy, but I was thinking. If all the boys and girls in America send him Valentine cards, he's got to realize that we love him, despite disagreements. And then maybe he'll see the wisdom in talking with us, and may tell his followers the same. And if we're lucky, the wars can end."

Her father thought for a moment and said, "You're right honey. That may just work."

"Oh goody" said his daughter. "When he comes out into the open, one of our snipers can nail the bast**d."

4 posted on 01/22/2008 8:58:59 AM PST by theDentist (Qwerty ergo typo : I type, therefore I misspelll.)
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To: jdm

Terrorism is a natural consequence of Islamic belief, in the same way that totalitarianism is the natural consequence of socialism. Eventually, any Islamic society will have individuals emboldened by their own stated beliefs, history, and tradition to commit terroristic acts. C’est la vie.


5 posted on 01/22/2008 10:55:00 AM PST by redpoll
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To: jdm
The Bin Laden Peace Initiative

Typical muslim deception, kill them all and let,s allah sort them out.

6 posted on 01/22/2008 12:01:51 PM PST by Anticommie
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