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The Intriguing Silence of Osama
From South Asia Analysis Group, an article by B.Raman, Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, New Delhi, and, presently, Director, Institute for Topical Studies, Chennai, and Distinguished Fellow and Convenor, Observer Research Foundation.Since the terrorist strikes of September 11, 2001, in the USA, at least ten taped messages attributed to Osama bin Laden have been telecast by the Al Jazeera TV channel. These were disseminated on November 3, 2001, December 28, 2001,September 10, 2002, October 6, 2002, November 12, 2002, February 11, 2003, September 10, 2003, October 18, 2003, January 4, 2004, and April 15, 2004. Thus, there were two messages in 2001, three each in 2002 and 2003 and two so far this year. In 2002 as well as 2003, there were two messages disseminated on September 10,coinciding with the first and second anniversaries of the terrorist strikes in the US. In the message attributed to him to mark the first anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist strikes, he said:" When you talk about the New York and Washington raids, you talk about those men who changed the course of history and cleansed the chapters of the nation from the filth of the treasonous rulers." In the message to mark the second anniversary, he said: "The confusion caused to the enemy was sufficient to make people wake up from their slumber and rise for jihad for the sake of God. I had the honour of knowing these men. One is honoured by knowing such men." Posted by: Mike Sylwester 2004-09-11 |
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