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2 Bin Laden hits a note with US's
allies By Michael Scheuer
Even before the full text of Osama bin
Laden's November 29 statement "To the European
Peoples" [1] was available, Western officials and
pundits were dismissing it as an "old tactic",
"ridiculous", and as "Osama's new nonsense" [2].
While such conclusions probably are
comforting to those making them, they are wrong.
Bin Laden's message sounded a pitch-perfect note
to the Europeans he addressed, was clearly and
ominously threatening to those listeners and fortuitously
coincided with a fresh
reminder that Europe and America are vulnerable to
radiological attacks by non-nation-state actors.
Historical context As
always, bin Laden's statement cannot be understood
and assessed unless examined in the light of
earlier statements and their impact. In this case,
bin Laden's November 29 statement is part of the
media-operations doctrine al-Qaeda put in place
after the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001
and augmented after the US-led invasion of Iraq in
2003. The doctrine has multiple goals, but the
goal bin Laden was aiming for on November 29 is
that of stripping away allies from the United
States, particularly the nations involved in the
occupations of Iraq or Afghanistan.
On
November 21, 2002, bin Laden launched al-Qaeda's
ally-stripping campaign by starkly telling
"countries allied to the US" that "reciprocity [in
war] is only fair". Appealing then, as now, over
the heads of governments allied to the United
States, bin Laden asked, "Why do your governments
ally themselves to the criminal gang in the White
House against the Muslims? Why did your
governments ally themselves to the United States
in this attack on Afghanistan, and I mention in
particular Britain, France, Italy, Canada,
Germany, and Australia?" Ending his message, bin
Laden stressed to the "allied peoples" that their
fate was in their own hands, "Just as you kill you
are killed. Just as you bombard you are bombarded.
Rejoice at the harm that is coming to you." [3]
Then, in April 2004, bin Laden narrowed
this message to "our neighbors, north of the
Mediterranean", offering the Europeans "a
reconciliation initiative" because of "their
positive reactions" - bin Laden was referring here
to the Spanish voters' defeat of prime minister
Jose Maria Aznar's government after the March 2004
train bombings in Madrid. In the 2004 statement,
bin Laden offered the European people a truce,
saying that "it is in both sides' interest to
check the plans of those [European political
leaders] who shed the blood of peoples for their
narrow personal interest and subservience to the
White House gang." Bin Laden told the Europeans:
I also offer a peace initiative ...
whose essence is our commitment to stopping
operations against every country that commits
itself to not attacking Muslims or interfering
in their affairs - including the US conspiracy
on the greater Islamic world. This peace can be
renewed once the period signed by the first
government expires, and a second government is
formed, with the consent of both parties. The
peace will start with the departure of its last
soldier from our country. The door of peace is
open for three months [from] the date of
announcing this statement. [4]
Not
surprisingly, bin Laden's offer was denounced by
the United States and harshly rejected by all
European governments. The rejection was followed
by two attacks on the London transportation
system; the disruption of a plot in the UK to
destroy ten passenger airliners over the Atlantic;
the dismantling of al Qaeda related or inspired
cells in Spain, Italy, the UK, Germany, and
Denmark; the so-called "Doctors' plot" attacks
against a popular London nightclub and Glasgow
airport; and remarks by senior government
officials in Britain, Germany, and Denmark that
al-Qaeda is related in one way or another to
Islamist terrorist networks and operational
activities in their countries [5].
Current environment Against this
background, bin Laden's new message is another
appeal "to the peoples of the states allied to
America in the invasion of Afghanistan, and I
mention specifically Europe". He again asks why
European citizens have allowed Afghanistan to be
"invaded without right by your unjust
governments", who joined the US-led invasion and
occupation. Bin Laden lays great stress on the
number of Afghan civilians who have been killed by
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)and US
forces, thereby underscoring a growing criticism
of the Afghan war by the European public, media
and some politicians.
He also mocks the
Europeans as "vassals" of the United States,
noting that their politicians are lackeys who "are
thronging the steps of the White House" and
preventing US soldiers from "being held to account
by European courts". Whatever the West thinks
about bin Laden's words - especially his
pot-calling-the-kettle-black condemnation of
civilian casualties - there is no doubt that
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