Afghanistan, Pakistan: A Bin Laden Tape's Rhetoric

An audio message attributed to al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden posted on the Internet on March 19 is authentic, the CIA confirmed March 20. Contrary to media frenzy, the latest audiotape from the al Qaeda chief is more rhetoric than anything else. It does not change the reality that al Qaeda has long ceased to be a strategic threat to the United States and the West. At best, al Qaeda remains a regional threat in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region and to U.S. interests there.