[per loin]

By scooping and embarrassing al Jazeera, Powell has just added tremendous credibility to his past statements on what our intelligence agencies know about Iraq.

[Indy Pendance]

Powell Ties 'bin Laden' Message to Iraq

WASHINGTON (AP) - Secretary of State Colin Powell told a Senate panel Tuesday that what appears to be a new statement from Osama bin Laden shows why the world needs to be concerned about Iraqi ties to terrorism.

Powell said he read a transcript of ``what bin Laden - or who we believe to be bin Laden'' will be saying on the Al-Jazeera Arab satellite station later Tuesday, ``where once again he speaks to the people of Iraq and talks about their struggle and how he is in partnership with Iraq.''

Al-Jazeera chief editor Ibrahim Hilal told The Associated Press late Tuesday that his office had just received an audio tape with bin Laden's voice. He said he and the station's board were listening to the tape and would make a decision on when to air it.

A headline at the bottom of the screen during regular programming Tuesday night read, ``Al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden calls on all Muslims to unite to defend the Iraqi people, in an audio message Al-Jazeera will broadcast later.''

The secretary earlier told the Senate Budget Committee, ``This nexus between terrorists and states that are developing weapons of mass destruction can no longer be looked away from and ignored.''

At a separate hearing, CIA Director George Tenet said that he, too, was aware of a new communication from bin Laden, but told the Senate Intelligence Committee he had not been briefed on its contents. ``I don't know what the contents will be,'' Tenet told the panel.

White House press secretary Ari Fleischer, asked about this, said Powell had ``summed up what we have heard - accurately. I think this is something that you may hear more about.'' He said Powell ``wouldn't have said what he said if he didn't have a basis for it.''

Pressed during the daily news briefing to say whether the administration actually had access to the broadcast or a transcript of it, Fleischer replied, ``I couldn't tell you the precise form of the knowledge of it.'' But the spokesman reiterated that he thought Powell had a legitimate basis for raising the issue.

Fleischer said the tape gives ``further proof'' and ``great concern'' about the administration's claims of ties between al-Qaida and Iraq.

[more - not about this topic]

[LdSentinal]

Next thing you know, Al-Jazeera will be playing audio tapes of "Bin laden" asking for solidarity between Muslims and North Korea. And after that, France, Germany, Beligium, etc.

[MassMinuteman]

I worry that by tying themselves directly to so-damn at this moment, al-qaida is attempting to remove obstacles from a US attack of iraq.

what do they know/have that gives them this confidence?

I say attack anyways, but this has to be giving pause to our military planners.

thoughts?

[Hurricane Andrew]

What I don't understand is why. Everything was going as much their way as they could hope. The UN Security council in turmoil, fractures in NATO, a slowly building gap between the US and Russia (who should be/have been a HUGE ally in this cause), and then seemingly out of the blue a statement directly linking Bin Laden and Iraq? It's almost too easy. Could we have asked for anything more? I'm just flat baffled. Pleased, but baffled.

[Honcho]

Bin Laden is dead BUMP

[My Favorite Headache]

Amazing how a pile of ash can still get breaking news and make tapes.

[piasa]

His lips sure aren't moving... even the Muppet Show could at least animate the lips of their muppets.

[Monty22]

osama to our leaders: You're weak, you don't go through with your intentions.


He's correct. We didn't nuke him. We let him go, and now he's empowered. Way to go Bush..

[texasbluebell]

It would be nice if AJ would get a new photo of ObL for us to look at, at times like this.

Oh wait, they can't...

[CWOJackson]

If were a conspiracy fan I'd say we faked this tape. Calling on them to dig and fight from trenches and to attack Arab governments...

[Mike Darancette]

Seems like Osama would like a regime change in Iraq too!!!

Very strange tape.

[valleygal]

Sorry, I need to catch up and haven't read thread, but is this guy RAMBLING or is it just me?

[LdSentinal]

The Al-qaeda sympathizers at the DU truly are dumb. For months, they have been saying that Bush has failed to get Bin laden, especially when the November audio tape came out. Now when another "Bin laden" tape comes out, they say its false and doctored, because it links Al-qaeda to Iraq. I'm so glad I converted from a Democrat to a Republican.

[Wild Irish Rogue]

CNN-yawn,no link,proves nothing.Mike Bettcher from London- has traveled through region and more will be coming out re:OBL and Iraq,but,it will still not be a smoking gun or link-yawn,yawn.

[ArneFufkin]

I want to see a VIDEO tape of Bin Laden speculating whether Joe Millionaire would choose sweet teacher Zora or the bondage-queen Sarah. That would prove the currency of Bin Laden's aliveness to me.

[woofie]

Based on what Ive heard I think they have Osama's brain in a bottle connected to a small generator and a microphone...He is being forced to say what they want or someone will pull the plug (literally)

[P.O.E.]

Who is Ibn Taymiyyah?

And when in the Western Calendar is the 10th of Rabi'-ul-Awwal 661 AH?

[LdSentinal]

If this was a coded message, then what about "Bin laden's" audio tape back in November? If I recall, several week after the tape was released, there was an attack on Israeli tourists in Africa and the attempted shoot-down of an Israeli air-liner by a hand-held SAM on Thanksgiving day.

Or, perhaps, Al-qaeda is giving blessing to the thousands fs anti-Americans who will be supporting him and other Islamofascists on February 15.

[3catsanadog]

Maybe something got lost in the translation to English, but to me, OBL words sounded unpassionate and silly.