Questions about Authenticity of Bin Laden Video
Some evidence that the audio track of the recent Osamah Bin Laden video was laid down over an older video has been given.
If true, this manipulation would not in my view prove that the audio was fraudulent.
One problem is that the video would have to be awfully old to have Osama with a short black beard, and I don't know of any old footage that looks like that.
The audio sounds like Osama to me.
See Barnett Rubin's analysis of the new speech as a form of market rebranding on Bin Laden's part.
Labels: al-Qaeda
posted by Juan Cole @ 9/10/2007 12:01:00 AM
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3 Comments:
Prof Cole, is there significant evidence that the real Osama survived past the initial invasion and bombings of Afghanistan?
What probability do you give that he is dead?
This is by far his most unusual (bizarre even) statement. His religion "does not let one innocent being die by fire" - but his group has killed and wounded thousands via its incendiary explosions - does he not remember seeing the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and a Pennsylvania field ON FIRE? The man that heads the group that bombed an old Synagogue in Djerba, Tunisia is now taking credit for harboring Jews? Daniel Pearl and Nick Berg were "harbored" by al-Qaeda and the gruesome results are on the net for all to see, thanks to al-Qaeda. His hypocricy knows no bounds.
I'm wondering if any of your video experts there in Ann Arbor buy into this theory that the video freezes so they could insert audio on current events --- but the pictures of him in the dyed beard are all photoshopped in, as it were.
Last item - you're the Islam expert --- he even has his own history wrong - Negus never converted....which is what he implies.
The general feeling is that the US does not do strategic communication well - UBL's latest rant to the American people is a PR disaster for al-Qaeda. He looks terrible, if it is truly him, and what he's telling us is beyond bizarre. Tyranical religion spiced with Marxist dogma.
Dr. Cole-
After viewing the above-mentioned video, I have a few quick linguistic questions. 1) Prior to this new message, has Bin Ladin used the term "neoconservative?" 2) What, if any, word is typically used for "neoconservative" in Arabic? Thanks.
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