Osama bin Laden issued ominous new threats in an audiotape broadcast Sunday, saying the West was at war with Islam and calling on his followers to go to Sudan to fight a proposed U.N. force.
And this:
"I say that this war is the joint responsibility of the people and the governments. While the war continues, the people renew their allegiance to their rulers and politicians and continue to send their sons to our countries to fight us."
In the first, and tied to the Hamas point, we can see a desperate Osama trying to enflame a war of civilizations between the West and Islam. Losing in the field with public Moslem opinion beginning to desert him, Osama needs an infusion of support to revitalize his ongoing defeat.
Second, in a related fact to the first point, look at the hideous causes Osama is willing to tie his movement to--the genocide against black Sudanese non-Moslems. I guess the people of Darfur are being punished for invading Iraq or something. 'Cause there's no other reason to hurt non-Moslems, right? But I guess Afghanistan and Iraq aren't exactly shining victories for the jihad. Why not go back to Osama's old stomping grounds of Sudan (remember the Clinton adminstration strike at the chemical plant in Sudan?). [UPDATE: Strategypage reminds me that the Darfur victims are also Moslems--I was thinking of the southern Sudanese. Which I suppose makes their plight more incomprehensible even from a jihadi point of view.]
In the third point, see that Osama is again justifying the killing of civilians. Is he planning something and announcing a defense against the charge of terrorism?
Finally, notice how that "international test" isn't valued by everybody. A UN-sanctioned force in Sudan? Osama isn't impressed with the possible decision of the vaunted international community. Maybe some in the West will be a little less sympathetic to the murdering thug and his minions after this internationalist faux pas.
Kill them all. And when I say "them" make sure we keep our focus on the jihadis and refuse to give our enemies (and some of our people) a war between civlizations that the jihadis need to have a chance of winning.
Of course, the jihadis don't want a true war of civilization. They count on us not really using all our power. For if it comes down to us or them, that can only end very badly for them.
UPDATE: Strategypage notes the lack of confidence on display by bin Laden and Zarqawi about their Iraq prospects. I hesitated to mention this since I only saw articles about selected aspects. But this seems consistent with past statements and apparent actions. We are winning. Let's try not to surrender to their last survivor, shall we?
