Bin Laden tape reportedly criticizes Democrats, corporations

Bin Laden tape reportedly criticizes Democrats, corporations
September 8, 2007
Copyright by CNN


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A videotape that appears to feature Osama bin Laden is under analysis by the U.S. government, officials said Friday.

Under scrutiny is whether it is really bin Laden and whether the tape is old or new, according to the sources.

A transcript of the tape, obtained by CNN, shows that it contains no overt threats toward the United States. Some date references, including a mention of the Democrats gaining the majority in Congress, may indicate the tape is new.

"One should pause, think and reflect," the speaker says, according to the transcript. "Why have the Democrats failed to stop this war, despite them being the majority?"

The answer to that question, he later says, is "the same reasons which led to the failure of former President Kennedy to stop the Vietnam War. Those with with real power and influence are those with the most capital. And since the democratic system permits major corporations to back candidates, be they presidential or congressional, there shouldn't be any cause for astonishment -- and there isn't any -- in the Democrats' failure to stop the war." Watch segment of reported bin Laden tape»

The transcript also shows bin Laden blaming global warming on large corporations.

"The life of all mankind is in danger because of the global warming resulting to a large degree from the emissions of the factories the major corporations," it says.

"And despite this brazen attack on the people [referring to global warming], the leaders of the West -- especially Bush, Blair, Sarkozy and Brown -- still talk about freedom and human rights with a flagrant disregard for the intellects of humans?"

The reference to French President Nicolas Sarkozy and new British Prime Minister Gordon Brown suggests that the tape was done this summer.

In the transcript, bin Laden urges conversion to Islam.

"To conclude, I invite you to embrace Islam, for the greatest mistake one can make in the world and one that is uncorrectable is to die while not surrendering to Allah, the Most High, in all aspects of one's life -- i.e., to die outside of Islam," the transcript says.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff on Friday would not confirm that a new tape had been received, saying only that the United States follows a standard procedure to analyze any tapes it receives.

"We review it for authenticity, we review it to see when we think it was made, if it's a single tape or a compilation of outtakes. We look to see if there are overt messages or hidden messages," he said.

However, Chertoff told CNN's Jeanne Meserve, "I do think the tape -- if there is a tape -- is tied to an anniversary."

He said it was not unusual for al Qaeda to release tapes near the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Tuesday will mark six years since the al Qaeda attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon.

Chertoff said no special alert was in the works.

He said only that the United States had scored "a win for the good guys" with recent arrests of terror suspects in Germany and Denmark, adding that the suspects had posed no direct threat to the United States.

On Thursday, al Qaeda's media production company touted the imminent release of a video from bin Laden with a banner ad on Islamist Web sites.

"Soon, God willing, video message by the Lion Sheik Osama bin Laden, may God protect him," the banner ad says in Arabic script, as translated by CNN's senior editor for Arab affairs Octavia Nasr.

Officials had no "credible information" about any imminent threat to the United States, Russ Knocke, a spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security, said Thursday.

But he reiterated the department's stance that "we are in a period of increased risk."

"The National Intelligence Estimate cited increases in activity overseas, and we're mindful of the recent arrests in Europe," he said. "There has also been an uptick in propaganda tapes and messages coming from al Qaeda and affiliated networks over the past year."

A videotape from al Qaeda would be nothing more than propaganda, said National Security Adviser Fran Townsend, speaking on CNN's "The Situation Room."

But she stopped short of calling for the media to ignore the tape.

"I just think people have got to be clear that we're being manipulated every time that they issue a statement, because they're trying to use the media as a way to terrorize us," she said. "After all, we haven't seen an attack, and this is one way that they try to terrorize the American people."

The ad included a photograph of bin Laden with a black beard, although it was most recently seen streaked with gray.

It was not clear how old the photograph was.

One U.S. official said a bin Laden videotape would be eagerly anticipated since he has not been seen in almost three years.

The official said the intelligence community would be very interested in the timeliness of the message -- whether bin Laden mentions current events, for example, or some other clue to indicate when the tape was produced -- and whether it offers new leads to his whereabouts.

Bin Laden's last video appearance came days before the 2004 presidential vote and was widely credited with giving a boost to President Bush's re-election campaign.

In that tape, bin Laden said he decided in 1982 to attack the twin towers of the World Trade Center after the invasion of Lebanon by Israel, which he claimed was backed by the U.S. Navy.

Although the United States launched the war in Afghanistan to find bin Laden and to deny al Qaeda a haven with the Taliban, which then controlled the country, he has eluded capture.

Officials have said bin Laden may be hiding in the mountainous tribal areas of Afghanistan or Pakistan. But a military official recently said there has been no good lead on his location since about 2