The Savvy Political Tone of Osama bin Laden

A taped message attributed to al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was broadcast on Arab satellite television channels. It is a marked departure from the Islamist rhetoric of previous bin Laden messages, but sticks to the relatively rational tone he used in a January message. The tape contains a number of messages addressed to the people of Western democracies that have been considered the enemies of al Qaeda. Although it does not contain any specific threats, the potential certainly exists for bin Laden's words to be interpreted that way.