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Groups: Bin Laden plans video on 9/11
By Associated Press
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CAIRO, Egypt -- Terror mastermind Osama bin Laden plans a new video to be released in the coming days ahead of the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, his first new message in more than a year, al-Qaida's media arm announced Thursday.

The announcement appeared on an Islamic militant Web site, showing a still photo from the video showing of bin Laden addressing the camera, his pointed finger raised upward. His beard, which in previous messages had been streaked with gray, was entirely dark.

"Soon, God willing, a videotape from the lion sheik Osama bin Laden, God preserve him," the banner advertisement read, signed by Al-Sahab, the terror network's media arm. Al-Sahab usually puts out such announcements one to three days before the video is posted on the Web.

If the message is actually a video of bin Laden, it would be the first new footage of him since a video released on Oct. 29, 2004, just before the U.S. presidential elections, in which bin Laden said America could avoid another 9-11 style attack if it stopped threatening Muslims.

Since then, there were a number of audiotape messages from bin Laden, but the last came in July 2006, when he praised the slain al-Qaida in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and welcomed his successor.

The advertisement was first found on the Web by two U.S. groups that monitor terror messages, the SITE Institute and IntelCenter.

SITE director Rita Katz said bin Laden's beard appeared to have been dyed, a popular practice among Arab leaders.

"I think it works for their benefit that he looks young, he looks healthy," Katz said of the image taken from a new video message that has not yet been released.

IntelCenter, which also monitors Islamic Web sites, said the video is expected within the next 72 hours, before the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 suicide hijacker attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

Since the attacks on the United States in 2001, Al-Qaida has regularly produced new messages around the anniversary of the strikes. In 2006, the organization's No. 2, Egyptian-born Ayman al-Zawahri called on Muslims to attack the U.S. for jailing militant cleric Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman.

With the silence from bin Laden over the past year, al-Zawahri has been regularly issuing videos and audiotapes.

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Reader comments on this story - 7 total

Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.

Digs Deeper wrote on Sep 7, 2007 12:35 PM:

" Ohh the irony, a new video still pic, no Capture, billions being funneled to the middle East, Americans going in debt, the world's Arms Race is growing nation by nation, the American war on immigration, the DEA destroying crops in the middle East (with payoffs), Increasing Energy Costs nationally, The rise in prices in goods and services with no increases in labor pay that matches economic growth, banks collapsing, the failing infrastructure and now the anniversary of 9/11.. oh no run for you lies....... Stays tuned........ Live alittle people, dang the World is not going to end over night....... "

To idea wrote on Sep 6, 2007 10:30 PM:

" I agree. This much attention is too much. We the people don't need to know about this. Who cares! "

bushes wrote on Sep 6, 2007 8:37 PM:

" are the devil theyve been ruling this country b4 and after kennedys assassanations thats JFK& JFK jr. "

IDEA! wrote on Sep 6, 2007 7:48 PM:

" Dont air the dang video! He's getting what he wants when we give him attention! enough already. the press should treat him like he was already dead, and ignore him. "

Call me crazy wrote on Sep 6, 2007 7:37 PM:

" and I'm sure you will.But, isn't it funny that a tape from Osama is announced, after the U.S. Air Force announces they're going on stand down. Maybe it's just a coincidence. I took 9/11 into consideration already,still sounds strange. "

Buck Finladen wrote on Sep 6, 2007 7:14 PM:

" Why can't they catch this guy? "

Meh wrote on Sep 6, 2007 6:58 PM:

" Either the Bush Regime is faking the video or Bush's anti-terror policy is a major failure or both. Of course, the 25%ers will be huddled under Church pews praying to George W. Life goes on. "
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