[syndicate] Full transcript of bin Ladin's speech

[claudia westermann]

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/EC3AC145-96B2-4858-AE3D-63FDE0B59D69.htm

excerpt:

A week after the Madrid attack, the Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigades, which 
claims to act on behalf of al-Qaida, claimed responsibility for the 
bombing and declared a truce in Spain to see if the new government 
would withdraw its troops from Iraq, but warned that it was gearing 
up for new attacks.

This part of the declaration was widely reported. However, very few 
mentioned the more ominous part of that declaration, short of 
excerpts which were reported by the BBC and Reuters.

The declaration turned its attention to President Bush, saying: "A 
word for the foolish Bush. We are very keen that you do not lose in 
the forthcoming elections as we know very well that any big attack 
can bring down your government and this is what we do not want.

"We cannot get anyone who is more foolish than you, who deals with 
matters with force instead of wisdom and diplomacy.

"Your stupidity and religious extremism is what we want as our people 
will not awaken from their deep sleep except when there is an enemy.

"Kerry will kill our nation while it sleeps because he and the 
Democrats have the cunning to embellish blasphemy and present it to 
the Arab and Muslim nation as civilisation.

"Because of this we desire you [Bush] to be elected."

A political tactic of this calibre should have perhaps appealed to 
pundits and political scientists in the media.