Has Osama delivered on his promise

[....lybob]

Monday, November 1, 2004 Posted: 8:07 PM EST (0107 GMT)

 

 

 

Osama bin Laden delivers a videotaped message broadcast on Arabic-language network Al-Jazeera.

 

 

 

(CNN) -- The Arabic-language network Al-Jazeera released a full transcript Monday of the most recent videotape from Osama bin Laden in which the head of al Qaeda said his group's goal is to force America into bankruptcy.

 

Al-Jazeera aired portions of the videotape Friday but released the full transcript of the entire tape on its Web site Monday.

 

"We are continuing this policy in bleeding America to the point of bankruptcy. Allah willing, and nothing is too great for Allah," bin Laden said in the transcript.

 

He said the mujahedeen fighters did the same thing to the Soviet Union in Afghanistan in the 1980s, "using guerrilla warfare and the war of attrition to fight tyrannical superpowers."

 

"We, alongside the mujahedeen, bled Russia for 10 years until it went bankrupt and was forced to withdraw in defeat," bin Laden said.

 

He also said al Qaeda has found it "easy for us to provoke and bait this administration."

 

"All that we have to do is to send two mujahedeen to the furthest point east to raise a piece of cloth on which is written al Qaeda, in order to make generals race there to cause America to suffer human, economic and political losses without their achieving anything of note other than some benefits for their private corporations," bin Laden said.

 

Al-Jazeera executives said they decided to post the entire speech because rumors were circulating that the network omitted parts that "had direct threats toward specific states, which was totally untrue."

 

"We chose the most newsworthy parts of the address and aired them. The rest was used in lower thirds in graphics format," said one official.

 

U.S. intelligence officials Monday confirmed that the transcript made public Monday by Al-Jazeera was a complete one.

 

As part of the "bleed-until-bankruptcy plan," bin Laden cited a British estimate that it cost al Qaeda about $500,000 to carry out the attacks of September 11, 2001, an amount that he said paled in comparison with the costs incurred by the United States.

 

"Every dollar of al Qaeda defeated a million dollars, by the permission of Allah, besides the loss of a huge number of jobs," he said. "As for the economic deficit, it has reached record astronomical numbers estimated to total more than a trillion dollars.

 

The total U.S. national debt is more than $7 trillion. The U.S. federal deficit was $413 billion in 2004, according to the Treasury Department.

 

"It is true that this shows that al Qaeda has gained, but on the other hand it shows that the Bush administration has also gained, something that anyone who looks at the size of the contracts acquired by the shady Bush administration-linked mega-corporations, like Halliburton and its kind, will be convinced.

 

"And it all shows that the real loser is you," he said. "It is the American people and their economy."

 

As for President Bush's Iraq policy, Bin Laden said, "the darkness of black gold blurred his vision and insight, and he gave priority to private interests over the public interests of America.

 

"So the war went ahead, the death toll rose, the American economy bled, and Bush became embroiled in the swamps of Iraq that threaten his future," bin Laden said.

 

U.S. government officials said Friday that the tape appeared to be authentic and recently made. It was the first videotaped message from the al Qaeda leader in nearly three years.

 

 

 

 

Some have written on this board that we are now bankrupt, if so, does that mean that Osama has delivered on his promise?

[Magox]

Monday, November 1, 2004 Posted: 8:07 PM EST (0107 GMT)

 

 

 

Osama bin Laden delivers a videotaped message broadcast on Arabic-language network Al-Jazeera.

 

 

 

(CNN) -- The Arabic-language network Al-Jazeera released a full transcript Monday of the most recent videotape from Osama bin Laden in which the head of al Qaeda said his group's goal is to force America into bankruptcy.

 

Al-Jazeera aired portions of the videotape Friday but released the full transcript of the entire tape on its Web site Monday.

 

"We are continuing this policy in bleeding America to the point of bankruptcy. Allah willing, and nothing is too great for Allah," bin Laden said in the transcript.

 

He said the mujahedeen fighters did the same thing to the Soviet Union in Afghanistan in the 1980s, "using guerrilla warfare and the war of attrition to fight tyrannical superpowers."

 

"We, alongside the mujahedeen, bled Russia for 10 years until it went bankrupt and was forced to withdraw in defeat," bin Laden said.

 

He also said al Qaeda has found it "easy for us to provoke and bait this administration."

 

"All that we have to do is to send two mujahedeen to the furthest point east to raise a piece of cloth on which is written al Qaeda, in order to make generals race there to cause America to suffer human, economic and political losses without their achieving anything of note other than some benefits for their private corporations," bin Laden said.

 

Al-Jazeera executives said they decided to post the entire speech because rumors were circulating that the network omitted parts that "had direct threats toward specific states, which was totally untrue."

 

"We chose the most newsworthy parts of the address and aired them. The rest was used in lower thirds in graphics format," said one official.

 

U.S. intelligence officials Monday confirmed that the transcript made public Monday by Al-Jazeera was a complete one.

 

As part of the "bleed-until-bankruptcy plan," bin Laden cited a British estimate that it cost al Qaeda about $500,000 to carry out the attacks of September 11, 2001, an amount that he said paled in comparison with the costs incurred by the United States.

 

"Every dollar of al Qaeda defeated a million dollars, by the permission of Allah, besides the loss of a huge number of jobs," he said. "As for the economic deficit, it has reached record astronomical numbers estimated to total more than a trillion dollars.

 

The total U.S. national debt is more than $7 trillion. The U.S. federal deficit was $413 billion in 2004, according to the Treasury Department.

 

"It is true that this shows that al Qaeda has gained, but on the other hand it shows that the Bush administration has also gained, something that anyone who looks at the size of the contracts acquired by the shady Bush administration-linked mega-corporations, like Halliburton and its kind, will be convinced.

 

"And it all shows that the real loser is you," he said. "It is the American people and their economy."

 

As for President Bush's Iraq policy, Bin Laden said, "the darkness of black gold blurred his vision and insight, and he gave priority to private interests over the public interests of America.

 

"So the war went ahead, the death toll rose, the American economy bled, and Bush became embroiled in the swamps of Iraq that threaten his future," bin Laden said.

 

U.S. government officials said Friday that the tape appeared to be authentic and recently made. It was the first videotaped message from the al Qaeda leader in nearly three years.

 

 

 

 

Some have written on this board that we are now bankrupt, if so, does that mean that Osama has delivered on his promise?

He's definitely contributed, but by no means is it the primary national deficit drag of our economy.

 

First off we have a $13.3 Trillion debt http://www.usdebtclock.org/ and a $1.5 trillion national deficit, the total costs of both wars over the last 10 years is http://costofwar.com/ which is $1.05 Trillion.

 

Our national deficit problems are more structural than anything else.

 

The good news is that we can seriously cut a good portion of this out of our annual deficit. We've spent close to an average of $100 Billion a year over the past decade. Which would make up about 2.8% of total annual US spending http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_federal_budget and approximately about 6.7% of our total US current deficit.

 

So, while I agree that this has definitely contributed to our US national debt and deficits, by no means is it the major hurdle moving forward to getting our nation back in good fiscal footing.

 

When you illustrate the facts and are willing to engage in an honest intellectual argument, it sort of blows away some of the typical liberal false talking points that the "wars are the main reason for our deficit problems".

[....lybob]

He's definitely contributed, but by no means is it the primary national deficit drag of our economy.

 

First off we have a $13.3 Trillion debt http://www.usdebtclock.org/ and a $1.5 trillion national deficit, the total costs of both wars over the last 10 years is http://costofwar.com/ which is $1.05 Trillion.

 

Our national deficit problems are more structural than anything else.

 

The good news is that we can seriously cut a good portion of this out of our annual deficit. We've spent close to an average of $100 Billion a year over the past decade. Which would make up about 2.8% of total annual US spending http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_federal_budget and approximately about 6.7% of our total US current deficit.

 

So, while I agree that this has definitely contributed to our US national debt and deficits, by no means is it the major hurdle moving forward to getting our nation back in good fiscal footing.

 

When you illustrate the facts and are willing to engage in an honest intellectual argument, it sort of blows away some of the typical liberal false talking points that the "wars are the main reason for our deficit problems".

 

you might be right but I think you are missing another trillion in costs (homeland security, increases in intelligence agencies budgets, increases in military budget non war related, foreign aid/bribes, medical costs for returning vets) caused by 9/11.

[whateverdude]

I see that this argument parallels the global warming argument:

 

You first must accept the premise of both which is, in the “global warming” argument that our planet is warming and in the “al Qaeda bleeding US” argument that we are going bankrupt.

 

Ok fair enough, there is plenty of scientific evidence to support both of these premises but not their arguments. This is where science ends and pseudo- science begins.

 

Al Gore will have you believe that we are the cause of global warming. Osama bin Laben will have you believe that al Qaeda is the cause of our bankruptcy.

 

Now it is possible that people are contributing to global warming just as it is possible that al Qaeda is contributing to our bankruptcy, but this requires proof of cause and effect not the speculation of two figureheads with an axe to grind. The two just do not support their arguments so it’s all BS.

[/dev/null]

I see that this argument parallels the global warming argument:

 

You first must accept the premise of both which is, in the “global warming” argument that our planet is warming and in the “al Qaeda bleeding US” argument that we are going bankrupt.

 

Ok fair enough, there is plenty of scientific evidence to support both of these premises but not their arguments. This is where science ends and pseudo- science begins.

 

Al Gore will have you believe that we are the cause of global warming. Osama bin Laben will have you believe that al Qaeda is the cause of our bankruptcy.

 

Now it is possible that people are contributing to global warming just as it is possible that al Qaeda is contributing to our bankruptcy, but this requires proof of cause and effect not the speculation of two figureheads with an axe to grind. The two just do not support their arguments so it’s all BS.

 

This thread has probably scrambled conner's mind

[DC Tom]

you might be right but I think you are missing another trillion in costs (homeland security, increases in intelligence agencies budgets, increases in military budget non war related, foreign aid/bribes, medical costs for returning vets) caused by 9/11.

 

Probably...but good luck puzzling out that accounting, considering a lot of those budget items are not mutually exclusive.

[drinkTHEkoolaid]

We have just been lucky at stopping their attempts so far...

 

wont last forever though unfortunately :/