Bin Laden says: Convert to Islam

[John Scott]

CAIRO, Egypt - Osama bin Laden appeared for the first time in three years in a video Friday released ahead of the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, telling Americans they should convert to Islam if they want the war in Iraq to end.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070908/...in_laden_video

In unrelated news, Democrats - Allah be with them - are urging all Americans to visit their local mosque.

[robert s.]

even converting would not help..... so far the terrorists did not really care for the faith of the people they were killing. a plane or a bomb is not really a sniper-rifle....

and even if they would care, for sure there is one sect within the islam, who wants to kill you, because you are from another sect....

so converting ----- not really a solution!
killing bin laden ----- solution!

[D3n!ss3_gUrL]

Upon reading of the article, the first thing that came to my mind was to laugh!

[Zap]

Originally Posted by robert s.

so converting ----- not really a solution!
killing bin laden ----- solution!

Do you really believe that killing Bin Laden will solve the problem of terrorism?!?!?

I suppose it's totally lost on you that the groups responsible for Madrid and London never even met Bin Laden and no funding ties from Bin Laden to these groups has ever been proven. They were merely inspired by him. He doesn't need to be living for that. In fact, he'll probably be more inspiring as a martyr.

One of the things he (Bin Laden) wants most is to turn Christians and Muslims against one another.
That would certainly give him his "holy war".

[robert s.]

Originally Posted by Zap

Do you really believe that killing Bin Laden will solve the problem of terrorism?!?!?

I suppose it's totally lost on you that the groups responsible for Madrid and London never even met Bin Laden and no funding ties from Bin Laden to these groups has ever been proven. They were merely inspired by him. He doesn't need to be living for that. In fact, he'll probably be more inspiring as a martyr.

One of the things he (Bin Laden) wants most is to turn Christians and Muslims against one another.
That would certainly give him his "holy war".

of course - killing bin laden would not be the solution. but it would cut off one of the heads of the "hydra"...

but that aside, madrid, london and now almost germany, if you look at all these events, the question is, if there even exists a solution.

as you pointed out, none of these groups has direct ties to bin laden. the guys who tried to bomb the airport in ramstein(germany) were turks (but born and raised in germany) and germans which converted to islam.

these are all individual cells and it looks as if they do not even need any orders or support. the only thing they need is money, so i think the only chance would be to cut off the financial support.

but where is the money coming from? which ties need to be cut? this needs to be found out, but i think too many people do not even want this to be found out..... how about the government of saudi-arabia? and so on.....

again: killing bin laden is no solution.. winning the war in irak will not be a solution.. solving the problem between israel and palestines will not be a solution.

the only solution is: hunt the money down - close the accounts - and arrest the financers! but i am really doubting that this ever will happen.

[Zap]

The way that this whole thing has evolved has been brutally horrifying.
We now have groups that are totally disconnected from Osama, but willing to die for his Jihad. These groups are increasingly getting "closer to home". That is to say that they are not immigrants or visitors, but citizens of the countries that they terrorize.

It won't (sadly) be long before home grown attacks take place in Canada, the US and more countries in Europe. These attacks will not be carried out by people who came here from somewhere else, to do harm. They will be people who were born and raised here, but they are Muslims that will "die for the cause".

And on the topic of funding, it doesn't take much. You don't need international financial connections to carry these deeds out.

Cost Estimates:
Madrid Bombings $10,000
London Bombings $1,000

Anyone with a job can carry these attacks out. Hell... a productive squeegee kid could muster up $1,000!

[TheFriend]

What will solve the problem of terroism then? Zap
Do you have any idea?
Maybe you are right, if Osama will be killed the terrorsits will have another reason to attack.
But is there any solution ????

[robert s.]

Originally Posted by Zap

The way that this whole thing has evolved has been brutally horrifying.
We now have groups that are totally disconnected from Osama, but willing to die for his Jihad. These groups are increasingly getting "closer to home". That is to say that they are not immigrants or visitors, but citizens of the countries that they terrorize.

It won't (sadly) be long before home grown attacks take place in Canada, the US and more countries in Europe. These attacks will not be carried out by people who came here from somewhere else, to do harm. They will be people who were born and raised here, but they are Muslims that will "die for the cause".

And on the topic of funding, it doesn't take much. You don't need international financial connections to carry these deeds out.

Cost Estimates:
Madrid Bombings $10,000
London Bombings $1,000

Anyone with a job can carry these attacks out. Hell... a productive squeegee kid could muster up $1,000!

very true - the actual "bombing" is not expensive. you could not stop that from happening when you cut the finances.

but there needs to be a whole lot of expensive organisation before: e.g. the people who tried the bombing in germany were in a trainingscamp in lebanon before. these people need to be "radicalized", which is not a process of a week, this takes years. all the radical islamic schools, the radical preachers....all this needs to be financed. and if we could cut the money for these purposes. we would be a big step ahead.

i think it needs a lot of time to indoctrinate somebody to a level that he is actually willing to die for the cause and this costs money as well. the german terrorists had no job, no income, but they rented 2 houses each with a monthly rent of over 100o euros......cut this money and there is a chance to, maybe, win......

[Zap]

Originally Posted by robert s.

not a process of a week, this takes years. all the radical islamic schools, the radical preachers....all this needs to be financed. and if we could cut the money for these purposes. we would be a big step ahead.

How do you decide which churches to cut and which ones to allow to continue?
Sounds to me like you want to start a war with all of Islam.
(But you're going to need the help of millions of muslims worldwide to fight terrorism)
Good luck with that.

[John Scott]

Best way to fight terrorism is with consistent law enforcement and a good economy. People tend to forget who they wanted to kill when they are paying off a nice comfy home in suburbs and a Lexus in the garage.

Appeasement is not a valid option. Seems the democrats want to go down that path, and many in the international community as well. But that doesn't work. Appeasement does not work.

[jamaine12]

I have a question..where does this "terrorism thing" start?

[John Scott]

Terrorism is violence or threats of violence against civilians, with the intention of causing great fearfulness and forcing the population to accept a minority principle, on the basis of fear alone.

Something like that, no?

[robert s.]

Originally Posted by John Scott

Terrorism is violence or threats of violence against civilians, with the intention of causing great fearfulness and forcing the population to accept a minority principle, on the basis of fear alone.

Something like that, no?

at least! i would say thats the "minimum-definition"... i think attacks on military targets like bases, or ships have to be included as well.

the guys in germany who were planning to blow ramstein-air-base, are terrorists, aren´t they?

[Zap]

Originally Posted by John Scott

Appeasement is not a valid option. Seems the democrats want to go down that path, and many in the international community as well. But that doesn't work. Appeasement does not work.

Absolutely agree with you on this. Terrorism and reason can not coexist.
Just sitting down to "talks" lends legitimacy that is undeserved.

[1more]

Originally Posted by John Scott

Best way to fight terrorism is with consistent law enforcement and a good economy. People tend to forget who they wanted to kill when they are paying off a nice comfy home in suburbs and a Lexus in the garage.

well said!

[ash1]

Originally Posted by John Scott

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070908/...in_laden_video

In unrelated news, Democrats - Allah be with them - are urging all Americans to visit their local mosque.

bin laden doesnt need to say this, i hear this from 100 muslims a day

[fermiop]

Do you believe in it all?

[John Scott]

Originally Posted by fermiop

Do you believe in it all?

Believe what?

[TheFriend]

in terrorism ?!?!?
lol fermiop: What do you mean exactly?

[backgammonnn123]

Yep, agrees with John. A great economy is pretty effective in fighting terrorism and has proven so in the past, but i think if we had a chance to do it all over again we would have handled iran in the 1950's differently(long term that is). We helped to participate in(along with the UK) taking out one of the most moderate and peaceful iranian leaders of this century, Mossadegh
who surely would have given us a modern and peaceful iranian nation and not the extremist nuke bound iran of today.

The common people on the most part in iraq want peace, but when you got every tom,dick and harry crossing the borders from every arab nation combining with the extremist elements there, you got serious trouble on your hands.

Now you gotta ask yourself if we should have left saddam in power(albit a much weaker saddam that couldnt attack his neighbors) would we even have this problem now?