..In my hands there is a message to remind you that justice is a duty towards those whom you love and those whom you do not. And people's rights will not be harmed if the opponent speaks out about them.
The greatest rule of safety is justice, and stopping injustice and aggression. It was said: Oppression kills the oppressors and the hotbed of injustice is evil. The situation in occupied Palestine is an example. What happened on 11 September [2001] and 11 March [the Madrid train bombings] is your commodity that was returned to you.
It is known that security is a pressing necessity for all mankind. We do not agree that you should monopolise it only for yourselves. Also, vigilant people do not allow their politicians to tamper with their security.
Having said this, we would like to inform you that labelling us and our acts as terrorism is also a description of you and of your acts. Reaction comes at the same level as the original action. Our acts are reaction to your own acts, which are represented by the destruction and killing of our kinfolk in Afghanistan, Iraq and Palestine.
The act that horrified the world; that is, the killing of the old, handicapped [Hamas spiritual leader] Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, may God have mercy on him, is sufficient evidence.
We pledge to God that we will punish America for him, God willing.
Which religion considers your killed ones innocent and our killed ones worthless? And which principle considers your blood real blood and our blood water? Reciprocal treatment is fair and the one who starts injustice bears greater blame.
..Based on the above, and in order to deny war merchants a chance and in response to the positive interaction shown by recent events and opinion polls, which indicate that most European peoples want peace, I ask honest people, especially ulema, preachers and merchants, to form a permanent committee to enlighten European peoples of the justice of our causes, above all Palestine. They can make use of the huge potential of the media.
I also offer a reconciliation initiative to them [the "European peoples"], whose essence is our commitment to stopping operations against every country that commits itself to not attacking Muslims or interfering in their affairs - including the US conspiracy on the greater Muslim world.
This reconciliation can be renewed once the period signed by the first government expires and a second government is formed with the consent of both parties.
The reconciliation will start with the departure of its last soldier from our country.
The door of reconciliation is open for three months of the date of announcing this statement.
For those who reject reconciliation and want war, we are ready.
As for those who want reconciliation, we have given them a chance. Stop shedding our blood so as to preserve your blood. It is in your hands to apply this easy, yet difficult, formula. You know that the situation will expand and increase if you delay things.
If this happens, do not blame us - blame yourselves.
- Excerpts from the bin Laden tape, translated by BBC
The leaders of the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy & the EU have already rejected bin Laden's offer of a truce or a "reconciliation" (Europe: No deal with bin Laden, CNN). This new tape is generally seen as a crafty attempt by bin Laden to divide the West & prey on the anti-Iraq war attitudes of many Europeans (Tape shows bin Laden's adaptability, Washington Post; Tape plays to European audience, BBC) - note the astute mentions of "war merchants" like Haliburton, which seem to automatically arouse disdain like Bush does.
Indeed, my first reaction was that bin Laden's trying to divide and conquer the supposed enemies of Islam - America vs. Europe, or more worryingly, the anti-war majority vs. their politicians. But then, this truce offer seemed so ingeniously crafted, with specific clauses like making this offer valid for three months & even renewal with the change of governments. (Of course, if he were negotiating with most Middle East countries, he wouldn't have needed that clause, haha.) The question I think many peaceful people have on their minds is this: despite what bin Laden & his cronies have done & are doing, & the clear opportunism of this offer, is he serious about it? Can there be a "peace in our time"?
..Hans-Joachim Schmidt, a senior research associate at the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt, said the offer was unlikely to affect German policy.
"We are part of the NATO mission" in Afghanistan, Schmidt said. "This cannot work for the German government." Some Europeans, he said, believe that countries that refused to provide troops for the Iraq war have bought themselves protection from al Qaeda attack.
In a conversation on a Berlin sidewalk, Wolfgang Lindner, 52, an office worker, praised the German government's rejection of the purported offer. "You can't bargain for peace," he said.
Daniela Brenner, 26, a waitress, said she would not trust bin Laden on such an offer, but added that she would want to think about it.
- the Washington Post 16 Apr, Europeans Reject Bin Laden 'Truce'
To have an agreement between two parties, there has to be confidence with both that their counterpart will fulfill their part of the bargain. As I see it, the only way to a long-term peace between the Muslim world & the rest (mostly the West) is the renunciation of violence, especially on civilians, & greater understanding of each others' values & practices. A fairer economic distribution would help too, but the problems the Arab world, most importantly, faces in this area can't all be blamed on the West. & so long as the Muslim world continues to spew out sermons of hatred (e.g. "The Palestinians," in their own words, Winds of Change) & treat the very idea of Israel & the US as inimical to Islam, there can be no lasting peace.
Somewhat mischievously, I wondered what it would be like if a European country, or even Europe as a whole, did agree in principle to a truce, "reconciliation" as bin Laden proposes. I, for one, do not think bin Laden is a man of his word, that he would really leave the Europeans alone. As I see it this proposed offer has about as much credibility as Hitler's erstwhile pact with Stalin. But what if some or all of the Europeans tried to call bin Laden's bluff? We will agree to a truce so long as you agree to these conditions - perfectly reasonable ones that we need to guarantee that you will keep your word.
1. Who are you speaking for? al-Qaeda? al-Qaeda's most closely affiliated cells & organisations? What about lone wolves who may be waiting for their chance in Europe right now? How can we be sure that you can speak for all these people & that we'll not be terrorised by al-Qaeda II? Get your terrorists to admit themselves as such, & afterwards, immediately leave our countries.
2. How can we trust you? How do we know that it's you that's making this agreement? There has to be some way of verifying that Osama bin Laden's the man making the agreement. For this we probably need a video with clear & unmistakeable footage of bin Laden acknowledging this agreement. (This video, of course, can be "conveniently" intercepted by the remaining enemies of al-Qaeda should they like to, in order to obtain clues of bin Laden's whereabouts.)
These conditions are what I can think of now. Consider that if any of the following are true, this offer could not possibly be taken up convincingly, & we would have called bin Laden's bluff: (1) he's dead, the tapes are faked & there's no way to bring him back from the grave to ink this agreement of goodwill with Europe; (2) he does not want to show his hand (i.e. the terrorist cells) that may be in Europe; (3) he cannot, after all, speak for very many terrorists - he could have inspired them, but he may not have control over them.
Sigh, but after considering all this, I think it would be far too difficult to trust bin Laden even if he managed to fulfill all these conditions. It would be too easy for him & his small coterie to forge a peace deal & other terrorist groups to strike all the same (i.e. he may think he can speak for all Islamic terrorists, but he doesn't). Should he go back on his word, there isn't any ambassador or return address we could go to to demand our money (& civilians' lives) back (i.e. there can never be the necessary level of trust between Europe & al-Qaeda by the nature of their organisations). bin Laden may or may not want "reconciliation" with anyone except the US & Israel, but I think any reconciliation with bin Laden in sincere faith is a reckless move.
