Because bin Laden's image moves for only a few minutes in the first tape and not at all in the second, questions are being raised about his health.
Magnus Ranstorp, a terrorism expert at the Swedish National Defense College, said trying to guess at bin Laden's physical condition from the images is pure speculation. But it is clear that the al-Qaida leader is plugged in, he said.
"He's very much up on current events, but it is more than that. Bin Laden has learned to skillfully package and tap into issues that have political currency and a wide resonance outside his normal constituency," Ranstorp said.
The messages end a long dry spell for bin Laden — his last video had been released in October 2004, while his last audiotape came out in July 2006.
Plugged in and still up on current events? Hah! Even if alive he'd just have to read MoveOn.org for what he spews out. But in my opinion, the jihadis would literally have to run electric current through Osama to get him to move at this point.
The man is dead. Or at least very, very sick.
