RECENT POSTS
- White House Study Looks at Job Creation in Illinois if Gitmo Prisoners Transferred There
- President Obama: Asia Trip Helped Usher in a New Era of American Engagement
- Secretary Sebelius Celebrates the Tenth Anniversary of National Adoption Day
- Organizing for America Targets Sarah Palin
- Obama Administration Starts to Publicly Raise Issue of Detained US Citizen Xue Feng
- President Obama Gives Interview (of Sorts) to Dissident Cuban Blogger
- "You Guys Make a Pretty Good Photo Op," President Obama Jokes to Troops at Osan Air Base
- Did the Chinese Government Crack Down on an Obama Interview?
- Our Trip to the DMZ
- President Obama Greets U.S. Troops in South Korea, Wraps Up Week in Asia
MONTHLY ARCHIVES
« Previous | Main | Next »
Obama Administration: OBL Finds President Obama and His Outreach to Muslim World 'Very Threatening'
June 03, 2009 2:01 PM
ABC News' Jake Tapper and Sunlen Miller report:
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA -- Senior administration officials said that today's audiotape release from al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, and yesterday's release from Ayman al-Zawahiri, are not surprising because al Qaeda is worried that President Obama will be able to achieve some success in bridging the divide between the U.S. and the Muslim world.
"This president and his outreach are very threatening to bin Laden and al Qaeda," said a senior administration official. "It's terribly bad news to bin Laden and al Qaeda. They're beginning to lose the propaganda war."
Another official listed policies that the president opposes -- torture, Guantanamo Bay -- and said "a lot of their tried and true recruiting tricks have been taken off the table."
Earlier, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said the White House hadn't yet reviewed the audiotape it in its entirety. "
I think the reports we’ve seen are consistent with messages we've seen from past from al Qaeda threatening the U.S. and other countries that are involved in counter-terrorism efforts," Gibbs said. "But I don’t think it’s surprising that al Qaeda would want to shift attention away from the president's historic efforts and continued efforts to reach out and have an open dialogue with the Muslim world."
-- Jake Tapper and Sunlen Miller
June 3, 2009 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (33)
You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.
If that standard was good enough for the left to apply to Bush, it's good enough for President Overrated to apply to himself.
Posted by: Nest Egg
if at the end of his 2nd term, Obama hasn't 'gotten' Bin Laden, you might then have a comparison...
lets also see if he decides to invade another country by mistake like Bush.
lets also see if he lets an american city rot after a hurricane.....
Posted by: Converter | Jun 5, 2009 2:13:49 AM
Now we all can sit down together and have tea and crumpets.
Posted by: Lizzie | Jun 4, 2009 12:14:30 PM
And now the (mind reading) show from Washington. The administration needs to get past the Bush years and look at the damage this part of the world has caused us in lives and money over the last 30 years. Get a new line other than Bush.
Posted by: William | Jun 4, 2009 12:00:46 PM
The fact that Osama is (purportedly) alive is proof - by Obama's own standard - that he has failed as President.
If that standard was good enough for the left to apply to Bush, it's good enough for President Overrated to apply to himself.
Posted by: Nest Egg | Jun 4, 2009 7:46:03 AM
What do you expect the administration to say? Hello?The administration is made up of Obama's lackeys.
Posted by: PoodleSkirt | Jun 4, 2009 12:35:27 AM
Historically the USA and the Muslim world has been at odds during Jefferson time. President took them on then. Study history. Their world has always been shattered because t hey have always fought among themselves. Afghanstan has a chance at true freedom if they truly decide to stay together and unite. Iraq was ruled by a tyrant for years. Now I fear that our men have lost lives fighting for their freedom. We may loose ours freedom because we looked at youth and wonderful speaker instead of and character. This wonderful speaker is going to be very flawed.
Posted by: seeker of the truth | Jun 3, 2009 11:31:21 PM
If we have a good product to offer then we should make the effort to package it correctly.
=========
But I agree packaging it correctly is good. My feeling it it won't be done correctly. We shall see.
Posted by: MayBee | Jun 3, 2009 11:08:55 PM
I think Obama would only scare ppl who want to sow division and hatred.
No wonder al Qaida and the GOP are scared of him.
Posted by: samir | Jun 3, 2009 9:53:40 PM
Yeah, Obama scares the hell out of me also!
Posted by: GFW100 | Jun 3, 2009 9:40:44 PM
Every time OBL handed out a tape when something happened on Bush's watch the MSM called it taunting Bush but now that it's on Obama's watch the MSM says it's because OBL is scared of Obama.
Posted by: Toby Hill | Jun 3, 2009 9:15:46 PM
Hellllooooo - Talk is cheap and so far, Obama has only talked about bridging this divide between America and the Muslim world. I don't see where Obama has done anything differently than his predecessor.
-----------------------
Um, he landed not too long ago...he's been in office not even 6 months, give him a couple of days, ok? Heck we gave Bush 8 years and the relationship between the Muslim world and us is pretty much shattered. Give him a day and lets see what happens! Geesh!
Posted by: Try the truth | Jun 3, 2009 8:39:23 PM
"I hope our own President doesn't buy that. I hope he realizes what we've done, and points it out- once again- to the "muslim world"."
I think he is well aware of our sincere efforts but also knows that much of it can be wasted on bad PR. What good is all the real effort and sacrifice if it is poorly received because it was perceived to have been done under a guise of condescension? If we have a good product to offer then we should make the effort to package it correctly.
Posted by: Skip | Jun 3, 2009 8:37:00 PM
"...They're losing the propaganda war..." and "...alot of their tried and true recruiting tricks have been taken off the table..." - and just just what kind of measurement tools and techniques does the administration use to gauge these claims?
Posted by: BK | Jun 3, 2009 8:13:05 PM
Saudi Arabia has long been an ally of the United States .... this is nothing new.
Talk is cheap and so far, Obama has only talked about bridging this divide between America and the Muslim world. I don't see where Obama has done anything differently than his predecessor.
Posted by: Hellllooooo | Jun 3, 2009 7:05:35 PM
If a nice speech in Cairo is the thing that finally makes the "Muslim World" believe we are reaching out to them, I will be greatly dismayed.
We've had more soldiers die and expended more military treasure defending and protecting muslim people than for any other purpose. From Bush 41 to Clinton to Bush 43, we've sacrificed for Muslims.
We've given enormous amounts of aid to Muslim countries, from Egypt to Palestine to Pakistan, and onward.
We helped Iran deal with the aftermath of the Bam earthquake, we helped Indonesia deal with the aftermath of the tsunami. For all of the controversy, we rid Iraq of a murderous despot and we stuck around long enough to get AlQaeda out of there after they rushed in to kill more Muslims.
We are currently trying to get the Taliban out of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
We've given enormous amounts of aid to muslims in Africa.
So none of that is enough, but a speech is going to be the amazing proof of goodwill?
I hope our own President doesn't buy that. I hope he realizes what we've done, and points it out- once again- to the "muslim world".
Posted by: MayBee | Jun 3, 2009 4:43:34 PM
Muslims think OBL is a raving idiot and a murderous criminal.
Any stock the jerk had has long since plummeted.
If anything, Muslims have more reason to hate OBL because he's made the world look on them with suspicion when they're just trying to live out normal lives.
OBL and his cronies are not Muslim in the essence of the creed's teachings to become good human beings.
They are murderous political miscreants. Nothing more. Nothing less.
And they ought to be caught, tried, and hung as the killing criminals they are.
Posted by: era | Jun 3, 2009 4:31:57 PM
"You don't think Obama is hunting OBL? Really? Because that's the main reason we are stepping things up in Pakistan..."
Yeah? I'd be interested in your position on waterboarding...
Posted by: tjp612 | Jun 3, 2009 4:18:47 PM
"To compare Obama to Osama is plain stupid. AQ IS scared of what that cooperation between nations might do to their "cause"."
Not sure where someone compared Osama to Obama. What are you talking about?
Cooperation between the west and muslim nations IS their cause. They are trying to sever it. I guess you didn't read the posts below.
Thats ok, drink up the kool aid. Those of us who have worked for years in this area are all just short sighted, close minded idiots. Our expertise expired on Jan 20th.
Posted by: KR | Jun 3, 2009 4:07:07 PM
"Didnt Mccain say during the Campaign He knew how to Get Bin Laden? He knows how to Find him. Well Senator Mccain I say you tell our Miltary and President Now with this new threat what are you waiting for Sen Mccain?"
It's Barack's show now. He won.
Posted by: tjp612 | Jun 3, 2009 4:00:39 PM
To compare Obama to Osama is plain stupid. AQ IS scared of what that cooperation between nations might do to their "cause".
Posted by: Jiva Soul | Jun 3, 2009 3:57:26 PM
Post a comment


