The Ghost of Bin Laden

Whether alive or dead, the bogeyman always makes his presence felt because of tales that have been told and spread about him. The majority have never seen this creature, been in the same vicinity as it, or even heard how it sounds, but that same majority believe this creature to be the face of all evil, the most dangerous thing known to man. This bogeyman for most Americans is Osama Bin Laden. When one even mentions the name Bin Laden, images of 9/11 are then displayed with the number 3,000 appearing. That image was first seen over four years ago and will never be completely erased from memory. But, every time that tragic day slips into the very back of our memory, we are reminded of it through speeches, video and audio tapes.

We were reminded again this last week, as a Bin Laden audio tape surfaced. Whether dead or alive, Bin Laden's ghost remains and that is enough to haunt most people. Whatever is transpiring in the world, all becomes a thing of the past when this ghost makes his presence felt. The debates between Republicans and Democrats become less heated. The only image that can be seen is that of 9/11 when the ghost made his presence felt, and that instills fear in the people that were most affected on that horrific and tragic day.

But, why have the tapes gone from video to audio? Why have many claimed that some of the tapes have been fake? Why has Bin Laden's name come up far less than it used to? Why have some inside and outside the U.S. declared that Bin Laden died? Would the U.S. government let the people know if Bin Laden did die? Do they have anything to gain by keeping Bin Laden's image alive to the American people?

Many are asking these questions and others and there are answers to all of them. Firstly, as mentioned, there are many who have stepped up and claimed some tapes to be fake. After studying the most recent tape, Duke professor Bruce Lawrence (AKA America's top Bin Laden expert) said that the tape was fake and "It was like a voice from the grave." Lawrence has just published a book entitled "Messages to the World: The Statements of Osama Bin Laden," where Lawrence analyzes over twenty of Bin Laden's speeches and interviews. The video from December 13th, 2001 has been the most widely scrutinized. It is now labeled the "Fatty Bin Laden" tape, because, as can be seen from comparison with older videos, "Bin Laden" appears to weigh around 50 pounds more in this one. Not only was there this difference, the larger "Osama" wore gold rings, which is disallowed in Islam and they wrote with different hands.
"Bin Laden" also praised two hijackers, but got their names wrong in the video. This was obviously a fake to expert analysts, although it was confirmed authentic by the CIA. A German television show noted that Washington's translations of the video were "manipulative" and "inaccurate." The next message was delivered in the fall of 2002 and this was done audibly. Swiss researchers at IDIAP (world's leading voice identification experts) said "The message was recorded by an impostor." The public also heard Bin Laden's name three days prior to the 2004 election.

Would the government have anything to gain by keeping Bin Laden's image alive? Many suggest that they would. Just as the color-coded terror alert provided for a while, Bin Laden's name instills fear in the public's mind whenever it's mentioned. As with the most recent tape, the others have come at critical times for the president and as was true with upping the terror-alert level for a while, the mention of Bin Laden's name has boosted Bush's approval rating within the first week after the tape was aired. A tape released in February of 2003 helped the U.S. make links between Iraq and Al-Qaeda. The war began just a month later. Three days before the election in 2004, Bin Laden appeared, which lead to Bush gaining a six-point lead in the very next opinion poll taken. Walter Kronkite went on to say that it was Karl Rove's doing to secure a victory for Bush. This latest video has had perfect timing as well, with the Patriot Act not yet made permanent, the potential filibustering of Alito, and Bush receiving a lot of heat for the domestic spying without warrants. With this tape appearing, Bush can now say, "This is why we need domestic spying. What I did was to protect the American people." Bin Laden tapes have boosted Bush's ratings before, and the BBC thinks the same will happen because of the most recent tape.

The terrorist attacks were on September 11th, 2001 and there have not been any similar attacks on U.S. soil since. Bin Laden's name has been mentioned fewer and fewer times in speeches and press conferences. All we hear anymore is a voice claiming to be that of Osama Bin Laden. We no longer even see his face. So, who is this creature? Does it exist anymore? Many sources claim that it's just his ghost haunting us anymore, because Osama Bin Laden, the man, is dead. The before mentioned professor at Duke, Bruce Lawrence, says in reference to Bin Laden, "He has been dead for years, probably since 2001." Dale Watson, FBI counterterrorism chief, has also mentioned his belief that Bin Laden is dead. A Centcom General holds the same belief. Israeli intelligence reported on October 16th, 2002, that Bin Laden was dead and an heir for Al-Qaeda had been chosen. Afghan President Hamid Karzai informed CNN that Bin Laden is "probably" dead. Pakistan's president thinks likewise, because Bin Laden was unable to receive treatment for his kidney disease. Bin Laden's funeral was even written about in the Egyptian paper "al-Wafd" on December 26th of 2001. The translation reads as follows:

"Islamabad -A prominent official in the Afghan Taleban movement announced yesterday the death of Osama bin Laden, the chief of al-Qa'da organization, stating that binLaden suffered serious complications in the lungs and died a natural and quiet death. The official, who asked to remain anonymous, stated to The Observer of Pakistan that he had himself attended the funeral of bin Laden and saw his face prior to burial in Tora Bora 10 days ago. He mentioned that 30 of al-Qa'da fighters attended the burial as well as members of his family and some friends from the Taleban. In the farewell ceremony to his final rest guns were fired in the air. The official stated that it is difficult to pinpoint the burial location of bin Laden because according to the Wahhabi tradition no mark is left by the grave. He stressed that it is unlikely that the American forces would ever uncover any traces of bin Laden."

All signs point to Osama Bin Laden existing no more. The man had a poor diet, diabetes, and kidney failure. There have been reports in Israel, Afghanistan, Egypt, and other parts of the Middle East and northeastern Africa that have reported his death. The CIA may claim that the latest tape is authentic, but they also claimed the "Fatty Bin Laden" tape to be authentic and it most certainly was anything but that. The ghost of Bin Laden is used as a scare tactic, a way to bring back painful memories and instill fear inside those who recall that horrendous day. The government will go to the ghost in times of need, in times when approval ratings decrease greatly, and in times when a scandal brews. It will be up to the American public to bring this to a stop. It will be up to them to shut their lights off at night and realize that the bogeyman is gone and will never make his presence known or felt again.

Links:
http://100777.com/node/1511
http://www.propagandamatrix.com/phony_bin_laden_tape.html
http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/osamatape2.html
http://www.welfarestate.com/binladen/surprise/
http://www.welfarestate.com/binladen/funeral/
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/842687/posts
http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/osamatape.html
http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/january2006/200106Bin_Laden_Tape.htm
http://www.aljazeera.com/cgi-bin/news_service/middle_east_full_story.asp?service_id=10544