It hasn’t been confirmed yet that it was Bin Laden, but either way, it was a bad week for President Obama. As JWF notes, it’s really hard being president.
CNN: A new audio tape allegedly from al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden claims responsibility for an attempt to blow up a plane en route to Michigan on Christmas Day and warns the United States of more attacks.
The tape, which aired on the Arabic-language news Web site Al-Jazeera on Sunday, says “the United States will not dream of enjoying safety until we live it in reality in Palestine.”
The tape continues: “It is not fair to enjoy that kind of life while our brothers in Gaza live in the worst of miseries.”
CNN could not independently confirm the authenticity of the message, but the CIA has in the past confirmed Al-Jazeera reports on tapes from the al Qaeda leader.
In another section of the audio tape that Al-Jazeera broadcast, the voice says: “God willing our attacks will continue as long as you support the Israelis and may peace be on those who follow guidance.”
Bin Laden also claims responsibility for the foiled attack on Delta flight 253 in December.
“The message intended to be sent to you was through the hero fighter Omar Farouq, may God release him, confirming an earlier message that the [September] 11th heroes delivered to you and it was repeated before and after [that event],” he says.
A Nigerian man, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, has been charged with attempting to blow up the Delta Airlines plane as it approached Detroit from Amsterdam, Netherlands.
A security expert said there’s a possibility bin Laden did not know about the attempted attack in December and al Qaeda branches may be using it to prove themselves to the group’s leadership.
I guess that world apology tour didn’t achieve quite what The One expected.
In related news, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said “the Taliban must participate in elections” in Afghanistan. Um, didn’t we go to war in Afghanistan to defeat the Taliban?
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