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New Videotape From Bin Laden; Al Qaeda's No. 1 Still Alive
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ShareSeptember 07, 2007 9:23 AM
Intelligence sources tell ABC News they believe the video message from Osama bin Laden is authentic, recently produced and evidence the al Qaeda leader is still alive.
According to government sources, an initial analysis of the tape indicates "a lot of chest thumping" and of course historical references "alluding" to the successful attack on New York.
And a CIA spokesman told ABC News, "It's quite possible this is a new video."
U.S. authorities earlier this morning said the tape's transcript is aimed at potential suicide bombers who he urges to carry out missions against the West.
Good Morning America Video: Bin Laden Alive?
The jihadist Web site announced the tape with a banner, showing a still picture of bin Laden, now 50 years old, looking fit with a full beard of dark black hair, no gray at all.
"It does look oddly like he is wearing a false beard," Richard Clarke, a former White House counterterrorism official and now ABC News consultant, said. "If we go back to the tape three years, he had a very white beard. This looks like a phony beard that has been passed on."
The "phony beard" may be an important clue as to where bin Laden is hiding, according to Clarke.
"One place where a beard would stand out would be southeast Asia, the Philippines, Indonesia," Clarke told ABC News. "No one's thought he was there, but that is an environment where most men, Muslim men don't have beards."
U.S. officials say there is little doubt the al Qaeda leader timed his latest message to the 9/11 anniversary.
"He came up on this occasion to prove he's alive, to taunt us and to take advantage of the 9/11 remembrance ceremonies to get some propaganda," Clarke said.
The actual videotape – bin Laden's first in 35 months since October 2004 – is expected to be released in the next few days or hours.
Sources in the intelligence community, who are already busy analyzing the image of bin Laden for clues of his whereabouts, say the tape is likely to be a direct message to Americans.
The Department of Homeland Security released a bulletin this morning, saying it and the FBI have "no intelligence of any specific and imminent threat to the homeland at this time."
"We assess that past public statements by al-Qa'ida leaders have neither contained coded communications nor signals linked to specific terrorist attacks," the bulletin read. "The anniversary of the 11 September 2001 attacks serves as a focal point for propaganda, but al-Qa'ida previously has not timed its operations to specific dates."
The DHS also promised to "work closely with our state and local partners in our efforts to warn of potential threats. We also will continue to work with our Intelligence Community partners to identify possible threats to the Homeland."
ABC News sources say CIA Director Gen. Michael Hayden met today with New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly and was impressed by the "ground truth" the police department intelligence division puts together through dozens of informant reports reviewed each day.
This post has been updated.
Do you have a tip for Brian Ross and the Investigative Team?
September 7, 2007 in Osama bin Laden | Permalink | User Comments (566)
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They attacked us.........remember? Meddling in Middle East affairs? We stayed isolated with Clinton so they bombed us
Posted by: David l | Sep 7, 2007 10:07:37 AM
oops....I meant Organdoner543 and Brian, not HarryHollis.
Posted by: Gible | Sep 7, 2007 10:08:24 AM
"Wait for the big surprise!" they said. And then...
exactly.
These morons don't have the resources to pull off anything worth mentioning in this country. Though god knows they've wreaked havoc in Iraq... Maybe we need to be looking for Bin Laden in Ahmadinejad's (sp?) bedroom closet... or under the bed...
Posted by: tucson | Sep 7, 2007 10:08:34 AM
Ron, taking an isolationist course in this day and age is so incredibly naive. The world is a lot smaller place than it was when our forefathers were around!
Brian, you've watched too much TV, too many movies. Conspiracy therories ahve clearly taken you over. How, pretell, do you think the CIA or whoever could make a movie of OBL looking older and who will probably be talking about some current events to show it is indeed recent. You need to get out more.
Posted by: Den | Sep 7, 2007 10:08:45 AM
Too bad Bush didn't take him into custody when he had the chance.
Posted by: Carba | Sep 7, 2007 10:08:48 AM
Ron L | Sep 7, 2007 9:47:34 AM
Israel doesn't need the US to stand strong for them. How quickly you forget how easily they handled three other opposing nations and of course Saddam's nuclear factory back in the 90s.
Posted by: Trip | Sep 7, 2007 10:08:59 AM
I would rather watch a comedy skit made by the guys from Australia - who drove through security with their fake motorcade... The OBL tape is a fake, made on a soundstage in Washington - more scary war propaganda from our DISHONEST, IMMORAL, CORRUPT excuse for a government! IMPEACH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: allan_krueger | Sep 7, 2007 10:09:07 AM
that isn't osama bin laden. osama bin laden has been dead for years. if you honestly think those two people in the pictures are the same, you are stupid.
Posted by: please guys | Sep 7, 2007 10:09:09 AM
Relax, it's just the new line from the makers of Grecian Formula for men
Posted by: Brother Least | Sep 7, 2007 10:09:15 AM
911 was an inside job. Wake up people.
ABC seems to be the go to network for this kind of propaganda. If there is a website with the video, why don't you give the URL? Impeach Cheney/Bush before they nuke Iran.
Posted by: ROBinDALLAS | Sep 7, 2007 10:09:29 AM
I am shocked that no one has collected on the 50 million dollar reward for Al Qaeda's No. 1. For 50 mill, I would turn my own parents in.
Posted by: Joe | Sep 7, 2007 10:09:40 AM
I feel that someone has not paid full attention to the face of this version of Bin Laden. Since I'm pushing 69 my face has aged a bit, so people think me a bit younger than I am; have to show my senior's card for discounts.
Posted by: Harry Whitecross | Sep 7, 2007 10:09:53 AM
Although we have the same name, Brian, we hold differing ideas on what our forefathers desired. They did not want to be isolationist to the point of jeopardizing the Nation. They just did not want to get involved with European intrigues.
Posted by: brian 2 | Sep 7, 2007 10:10:16 AM
Maybe Bin Laden will also release the pentagon videos of the attack. He must be the only one with a copy. The pentagon has shown us nothing.
Posted by: videographer | Sep 7, 2007 10:10:50 AM
Organdoner543: And you owe yourself a trip back to school to learn how to spell.
Posted by: Nicole | Sep 7, 2007 10:11:48 AM
You know if Clinton would have gotten him when he was basically handed to him on a silver platter from the people of Sudan, we would not have to worry about this IDIOT! Now I don't know what's worse, Bin Laden running lose or another Clinton becoming president???
I think another Clinton becoming president may be worse.
Posted by: Dan | Sep 7, 2007 10:12:14 AM
Nice, looks like that old game where you put the magnetic beard and hair on the picture of a really goofy looking bald guy. Kinda looking a little haggered the Binny, something keeping you up at night??
Posted by: DrunkenRomantic | Sep 7, 2007 10:12:30 AM
Too bad Reagan, Bush Sr. and Cheney armed this guy to the teeth as an ally in the 80's. When will silly republicans learn.
Posted by: fooblitzky | Sep 7, 2007 10:13:09 AM
OK let him talk, now kill him.
Posted by: MBB | Sep 7, 2007 10:13:24 AM
Hey Ron L., The United States' first foreign war was prosecuted by Thomas Jefferson against Muslim fanatics in North Africa, who were capturing and enslaving European and American sailors. Learn some history, dumbass.
Posted by: Jacques | Sep 7, 2007 10:13:46 AM
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