Here we go again. Another of our major news organizations acutally giving credence to the things that these guys say.

What routinely goes unreported is this little tidbit...from the SAME tape:"Any way other than holy war, will lead us only to loss and defeat," al-Zawahiri. Does this sound like a "softer" al-Zawaheri?

Oh, and the little dark truth that his (and Al-Qaeda's) goal is nothing less than an Islamic Caliphate. Yes, that is also in the tape, though you won't hear ABC mention it. A real softy this guy.

This is being spun by ABC to convince the American people that we are losing the war and cannot win. (and that these are reasonable poeple) I am sure that the executives for ABC will receive a Christmas card from Al-Qaeda for all of their help!

"Any path other than jihad will lead us only to losing direction and loss." THIS IS HIS SOFTER SIDE??????

I'm sorry but I simply don't see it. From your article, it seems he's just given us more of the tired Islamist rhetoric abjjout Palestine, Israel and the importance of Sharia and jihad.

There was a 30-40 year period when very many Arabs were pushing for Pan-Arabist Western modeled Liberal secular socialistic states (Nasserist and Baathists), but the West's might was able to suppress and defeat these movements. Arabs last hope for deliverance from Western Military, Diplomatic, Economic, and Cultural Imperialism was their religion, Islam, and to use it to help unite their people fragmented by Western Colonialim and their remaining puppet regimes in their region (like the Royal Families the British set up to rule for them, that the US took over after WW2). Jihad is the only way to stop the West trying to control the Middle East.
If the West doesn't like a resurgent Islam, perhaps it should get out of Afghanistan, Iraq, and Palestine, and stop trying to destroy Syria, Lebanon, and Iran.
And if Islamic countries wish to reform an Islamic Caliphate they had for centuries before the West came in, I don't think its any of our business, either, anymore than we should tell Europe who they allow into the EU, or Tibet should decide who gets into NAFTA or NATO.
If Britain doesn't have separation of Church and State (ask the Queen), and we're run by Christian Fundamentalists Wacko's, why shouldn't overwhelmingly Islamic Nations be free to have Islamic Law (Sharia) in their own countries. Lets get rid of the religious extremists and terrorist War Criminals in the White House and Pentagon before we invade any more foreign countries.
Our spreading 'Liberty and Democracy' in other countries usually involves installing puppet tyrant dictators and killing large groups of the locals with napalm and cluster bombs from our new permanent bases there. Or with chemical weapons we sell our puppets, invade them for having later, and finally condemn the dictator for using still later. Note we charged Saddam for using Gas against a few of our friends the Kurds, not for massively using it against our enemies the Iranians. That was when we liked him.

"Al Qaeda's statements seem to be most aggressive when the group feels they're weak" -

Hoda, I disagree with you...did Al Qaeda feel weak or empowered when they issued the original anti-west fatwah in the late 90's? Did they feel weak or empowered after blowing a hole in the USS Cole? Did they feel weak or empowered after killing scores in eastern Africa? And I'm fairly sure they felt they had BIG cajones after 9/11...

If somebody threatened to kill you and your children at one time, and then changed to a "distinctly less threatening tone" at a later time, would you cuddle up to them at that point or still percieve them as the deadly threat they are? If the answer's yes, then you're a sucker...

Does he think that most Palestinians WANT to live under sharia? The hot metal's flyin' right now between Hamas and their more moderate brothers over in Gaza...

Anyway, I still have a beef with Dr Z - he tried to kill me and my neighbors, so he can kiss my ***!

There once was this al Zawahri,
with specs and a beard old and gnarly.
Though the good doctor Ayman's
prognosis is hymen,
martyrs find hell's inferno no party.

"may reflect an attitude that victory in Iraq and Afghanistan is near."

Hahaha, you wish, The Blotter.

After 9/11, Ted Koppel interviewed a group of active and retired military officers. One retired general stated that the war on terror was one war we couldn't quit. We had been attacked on our soil and the terrorists' goal was the total destruction of the American way of life and all nonMuslims. Koppel never asked that general another question. I guess that wasn't what Koppel wanted to hear. The US interests have been assaulted by Islamic extremists for ove 25 years and some Americans think we can just ignore the threat to America and Americans. Makes no sense to me.

I agree with one of Geoffg's points, lets get the hell out of the middle east and let these animals eat each other's young. Who gives a crap about the welfare of these third world knuckle draggers. I'm sick of the US trying to be the world police. We poor billions into the world economies and yet we still have kids going to bed hungry. That's ridiculous. Why not take the money we dump into the middle east and build some schools, send some kids to college and reverse this trend to glorifying the lowest common denominator. If the Jihadis still are itching for a fight, then we do them like we did the Japs. Burn them to the ground and THEN help them rebuild. But lets quit this namby pamby war we're waging. It's time to spit or get off the pot.

The story is a spin! There is no softer side to these people and to say it only proves there is a hidden agenda with ABC news!!!

And as far as the Geoffg person and there comments! Come on! We are helping people and to say there is somthing wrong with controling and/or ousting leaders that kill there own people makes you know differant than them!

If Lady Liberty was a person she would lead the armies of this country and help ANYONE acheive the same freedoms that YOU take advantage of!!!

Geoffg is simply ignorant of the facts of history. Yes, there was an Islamic Caliphate--AFTER the Muslims INVADED Judea and other lands to make one. They had no "right" to do this. This, then spurred the "Crusades" and weren't they just lovely. Proving that given an "excuse", any of us can be brutal.

The cold war politics that Geoff refers to had NOTHING to do with the Caliphate or its downfall. Like most other "expansionists", the Romans, the Germans, et all; the Muslims were pushed back to the lands from whence they came.

The western world does have repsponsibility for Iraq though. It WAS the Brits (God bless 'em) that cobbled Iraq together. We might be better off if there were three countries there with natural animosities killing each other. But this has nothing to do with the Caliphate either.

History is repeating itself with Islam (I should say a certain portion thereof) setting themselves up against the rest of the world. It has nothing to do with Iraq, Palestine, or Disneyland. It is simple expanionism of the type we haven't seen in decades. Their methods are decidedly different, but alas, their goals are the same: to invade and dominate wherever they can.

Before anyone is fooled into thinking that if we leave the middle east all will be well, remember this: Three Muslim leaders, in three seperate western countries specifically stated that their intention was to convert all of those countries (by force if necessary)to Islam and to have them governed by Sharia law. The countries: France, England and the US.

Frankly, I don't think this is possible (well maybe France). Us and the Brits like our beer to much to let it happen!

The news media isn't giving "credenace" to what he says--they are analyzing it.

We need to stop listening to these guys and judge them by their actions. They are cowardly killers that hide behind the weak, young and helpless. If this is war then lets fight it as a war. We need to kick a@@ and beat the enemy as fast and hard as we can. They will not stop until they are either dead or we are. So let's make it happen.

What drivel. ABC is doing us a disservice this article.

Personally, I don't care which side he shows, as long as there is a Marine with a K-bar waiting to stick it in that side sometime in the near future.

The title of the article is misleading - I thought he was going to offer his ideas on Brittney Spears or something. But I did click the link. Mission accomplished, Blotter! abc may think that someone not explicitly calling for his followers to slit your throat is 'softer', but most sensible people understand that this is an enemy that must be put down like a rabid dog.

Geoffg:
If more people had your attitude, we would all soon be living under sharia law....you lib bonehead!

Calling for Jihad shows his softer side? Please. And yes, I vote Democrat and am a liberal.

Softer side? Who do you think you're talking about, Jihad Me Elmo?

Yeah, this guy is a regular Alan Alda.

The only soft side this numbskull is going to have is the side that will be beaten into a soft much by our boys in the Marines once they get a hold of him. And that's still too good for him.

Looks like Al-Jazerra bought ABC - this is ignorant propaganda. Does this idiot think that there is a path to peace with the Jihadists other than allowing them to run our society as they did Afghanistan? Osman is a freakin dope.

Al-Jazerra, AL Qaeda and the Democratic Party all depend on ABC, NBC, CBC, MSNBC, and CNN for bias reporting. At least you get somewhat balanced news on FNC.