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Science/Tech See other Science/Tech Articles Title: [The new "Al Gore":] Bin Laden addresses climate change Osama bin Laden, the leader of the al-Qaeda network, has expressed concern about global climate change and the recent flooding in Pakistan, in an audiotape posted on the internet, which would be his first public remarks in six months, a monitoring group has said. "The number of victims caused by climate change is very big... bigger than the victims of wars," said the voice, whose authenticity could not be immediately verified and was made available by SITE Intelligence Group, which released the recording on Friday. The tape would be the first time Bin Laden has spoken publicly since March 25. It was not clear when the tape was made, but Bin Laden congratulated Muslims on the holy fasting month of Ramadan which ended on September 10. "The catastrophe [in Pakistan] is very big and it is difficult to describe it," he said. Preventive measures Bin Laden made a series of recommendations to deal with climate change, namely preventive measures that he said should be taken by governments in the face of disasters. "Providing tents, food and medicine is a duty... but the disasters [facing many Muslim countries] are much bigger than what is being offered. "Action should not be confined to providing emergency aid... but to set up a capable relief task force that has the knowledge and experience needed" to meet the challenges. One of them, Bin Laden said, is "setting up studies of urban areas that lie by rivers and valleys in the Muslim world," pointing to floods that hit the Saudi city of Jeddah earlier this year. He also called for a review of security guidelines concerning dams and bridges in Muslim nations and said more should be done to invest in agriculture to guarantee food security for all. "Investment in agriculture needs a lot of efforts and yields small gains. The issue today is not about gains or losses, but about life or death." US sceptical In one of two tapes issued in January, Bin Laden blamed major industrial nations for climate change, a statement the US state department said showed that he was struggling to stay relevant. In his most recent remarks, he warned that Al-Qaeda would kill Americans if the alleged mastermind of the 2001 attacks on the United States, Khaled Sheikh Mohammed, was executed. Plans to send Mohammed to trial just steps away from his alleged crime scene in New York had to be put on hold after a furious public backlash over potential costs and security threats. In another statement in January, Bin Laden claimed responsibility for the botched Christmas Day bombing attempt of a US airliner, vowing further strikes on American targets. Bin Laden also referred to US support for Israel in the January message. "God willing, our attacks against you will continue as long as you maintain your support to Israel," he said. Bin Laden's whereabouts are unknown, but in August, General David Petraeus, the US commander in Afghanistan, said bin Laden is "far buried" in the remote mountains between Afghanistan and Pakistan and that capturing him remains a key task.
Poster Comment: Muslims around the world have been urged to mobilise more aid for Pakistan's flood victims in a new audio message purportedly from Osama Bin Laden. The 13-minute unauthenticated audio tape, issued on Islamist websites on Saturday, is said to be the second tape to be released by the fugitive al-Qaeda leader in two days. SPECIAL COVERAGE In a speech entitled "Help Your Pakistani Brothers," the al-Qaeda leader focuses on the reluctance of Arab and Muslim countries to help Pakistanis, singling out Gulf states, Malaysia and Turkey, the US-based Intelligence Group Site said. In the recording, the speaker says more people are affected by climate change than wars, and refers to recent flooding in Pakistan. "The response did not match the level of the disaster," he said. He said Arab and Muslim leaders had not paid any visits to flood-hit areas unlike Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary-general, and added Arabian Peninsula's oil wealth should be used as it "belongs to all Muslims". Saturday's audio tape is the second in two days. On Friday, Bin Laden expressed concern about global climate change and flooding in Pakistan in a 11-minute audio message. "The number of victims caused by climate change is very big ... bigger than the victims of wars," the voice said - his first public comments since March, but its authenticity has not been confirmed. 'Polishing image' Paul Pillar, a former US intelligence official, said that the message by "Bin Laden" was aimed at polishing his battered image among Muslims. He aims "to counteract his loss of support among people who have come to perceive him as an uncaring terrorist who has no hesitation about spilling the blood even of fellow Muslims," Pillar said. Bin Laden's whereabouts are unknown, but in August, General David Petraeus, the US commander in Afghanistan, said he is "far buried" in the remote mountains between Afghanistan and Pakistan and that capturing him remains a key task. Bin Laden is the world's most-wanted man, with the US offering a reward of up to $25m for information leading to his capture. Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest
#1. To: buckeroo (#0)
it is hilarious that Bin Laden is now talking about global warming. maybe he and Al Gore should get together. two rich men born into privileged families who read their lines and prosper.
Psalms 137:1 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.
So Bin Laden is still alive....
"we ought to lay off the criticism" -- Pinguinite, circa 2010-05-26 22:17:22 ET
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