A new "Bin-Laden" tape...

[Makalakumu]

I don't think a simple belief one way or the other about the authenticity of this al-Qaeda tape makes somebody a "wacko".... in fact, you highlight a major problem in our society and on this forum. We can't reasonably differ anymore with each other - now, if you disagree with anyone they say you are insane, illiterate or a traitor.

grydth, this sort of thing doesn't go both ways when it comes to this subject. The words "conspiracy theory" are loaded so that they have become a jerjorative for all of that. The end result is that it stifles opinion. I've been turning it around, so to speak, in this thread, because if one side can misapply logic and psychology on other people for asking questions, the same sort of twisted approach can land those very labels back on their source by their very definition.

It would be much nicer to discuss these questions on their merits without the mean spirited perjorative applied to anyone, whether in public or private formats.

I respect your opinon and I like your delivery and I hope that in my replies to you, I've been able to convey a sense of my misgivings regarding these tapes.

For others, I think they need a good lesson in rhetoric and civility. It's a miracle this thread hasn't turned into a train wreck and its only because I'm not going to escalate it any further.

 

[Mr. E]

It could be psycholocial warfare by "our side". But...Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya are not crying foul. There is no outrage over the appearance of Bin Laden. No accusations of sacrilege or foul play.

Kind of telling that people in the Middle East seem to have little trouble with believing this is actually him, eh? There are more people in the West that are saying this is a faked tape than people from that part of the world.

While not part of Wahhabiism, there is a Sunni school of thought that permits use of hair dye for male jihadist warriors, the logic being a younger, stronger appearance is more intimidating to the enemy.

It is also fairly common in that part of the world with people seeking power.

it just does not make sense to think that if you were trying to fool the American people you would make this fundemental type of change. If your target audience for a scam was people that did not know much about how people in that part of the world thought, you would want to cater to the way they thought as much as possible. Your last line is right on- this may have been doctored, but not by anyone in the West. I think a lot was left out so that the West's intelligence agencies could not gain too much information about the location, state of his health and so on.

 

[Blotan Hunka]

If its fake, it could just as easily be faked by AlQuda (sp?) as anybody else. The tendency to conclude its a US plot out of hand says more about the conspiracy theorist than it does about the tape itself IMO.

Again, the gvt can blow up the WTC under our noses, but couldnt make a fake OBL beard that matches?? Wingnuts.

 

[Carol]

it just does not make sense to think that if you were trying to fool the American people you would make this fundemental type of change. If your target audience for a scam was people that did not know much about how people in that part of the world thought, you would want to cater to the way they thought as much as possible. Your last line is right on- this may have been doctored, but not by anyone in the West. I think a lot was left out so that the West's intelligence agencies could not gain too much information about the location, state of his health and so on.

Perhaps he Bin Laden is looking to appear stronger to his allies...