In a new tape, coinciding with the anniversay of 9/11, Al Qaida leader Osama Bin Laden calls President Obama weak and powerless to change the state of war in Afghanistan.
Bin Laden goes on to point to key figures in the current administration, such as Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who were members of the previous administration as proof of Obama’s inability to stop the US-lead war in Afghanistan, saying that when he named these appointees “reasonable people knew that Obama is a powerless man who will not be able to end the war as he promised.” Obama continues, according to the tape, to merely push the previous administration’s policies foward in benefit of big businesses.
The tape goes on to discuss America’s inability to understand the motivations behind the 9/11 attacks, describing them as part of Al Qaida’s quest to liberate Palestine, and attacks the US’s support of Israel. If the US were to re-evaluate its position in the Middle East, Bin Laden could consider reconciliation.
The 11-minute tape was released by as-Sahab, Al Qaida’s media wing, just two days after the 9/11 anniversary and shows a still image while audio of Bin Laden plays. No updated images of the leader were shown. It is assumed that Bin Laden remains hidden in the mountains along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, although Pakistan officials claim he is dead.
The tape, according to IntelCenter which monitors terrorist propaganda, is the first new tape released since June 2009 and marks the 49th tape of the year. As-Sahab is currently averaging one tape released every five days. Currently, the US has 60,000 troops in Afghanistan, leading the multi-nation offense there.
Some information for this report provided by the AP.