hat tip: Michelle Malkin, who hat tips Little Green Footballs for this find... (read the caption)

Yup, you read it right. The AP is calling the world's most notorious terrorist an "exiled Saudi dissident". A couple quick Google and Yahoo! searches revealed that the "exiled Saudi dissident" caption has been a staple in many AP articles for a number of years. Of course when it was used in the late 90s, the AP and other media using the term might be able to play the ignorance card. Heck, they were lucky to have heard of Bin Laden at all, considering Clinton was doing everything in his power to turn down offers to take Bin Laden in to custody.

Anyway, a lot of bloggers are talking about the new video, and many even about this "dissident" thing, but are unaware that this isn't just a one time thing. As I said, I did just a little Googling and Yahooing and found a number of examples bost pre and post 9/11. We shouldn't really cut them that much slack for doing it in the late 90s because they knew (or should have) who this guy was... but it's the more recent examples that are the annoying ones. I'll give you handful of both though.

For the record, Dictionary.com defines "dissident" as:

Disagreeing, as in opinion or belief.

Pre-9/11
MSNBC - August 24, 1998
CBS News - June 25, 2001

Post-9/11
CNN - September 19, 2001
WorldNetDaily.com - September 19, 2001
AP via The Sierra Times - September 24, 2001
CBS News - September 30, 2001
USA Today - September 30, 2001
Chicago Tribune - October 1, 2001
AP via Fox News - October 5, 2001
AP via CBS News - October 11, 2001

AP via CBS News - June 19, 2002
AP via SFGate.com - June 19, 2002

It was weird searching for these. Pre-9/11 there were a lot from 1998 and 1999, but as I said, those aren't quite as annoying as the post 9/11 examples. The abundance of what I was finding was from September and October of 2001, and as you see a couple from 2002. This was just basic Yahoo! and Google searching, so I'm sure I missed dozens (if not hundreds) of other examples out there.

If anyone else out there found other examples I didn't include, email me at randy at rightwinged dot com. I know they're out there, but don't have the time to look for them at the moment, so please send 'em over if you found any.

Blog roundup:
Michelle Malkin, Michelle Malkin again, The Political Teen, Little Green Footballs, Junkyard Blog, The Jawa Report, Captain's Quarters, MacsMind, Iowa Voice, Public Figures.... Beware, Flap's Blog, Texas Fred, Rightwing Nuthouse, The New Editor, Murdoc Online, American Pie Revisted, The Strata-Sphere, The Political Pitbull, Sensible Mom, Stop the ACLU, The Pink Flamingo Bar & Grill, Rovian Conspiracy, Suitably Flip, Conservative Outpost, Law Hawk, Politechnical, Super Fun Power Hour, Publius Rendezvous, Conservative Revolution, Protein Wisdom, Low Earth Orbit, Uncooperative Blogger, Martin's Musings, Reverse Vampyr, Busblog, Rant Fever, Decision '08, In The Bullpen, Outside the Beltway, The Counterterrorism Blog 1, The Counterterrorism Blog 2, The Counterterrorism Blog 3, The Counterterrorism Blog 4, Wizbang

 

First off, if you've just woken up, or otherwise hadn't heard.... Bin Laden released an audio tape today. The Political Teen has the video (actually video from CNN, but it is just an audio tape.)

Here's a quick summary... Bin Laden claims that the lack of attacks on U.S. soil aren't the result of security measures, but the fact that attacks are in the planning stages, but that they are coming. Weird thing is, he also offers a truce, which I believe is nothing more than a desperate appeal to the Arab and Muslim world (playing the "peace" seeker) for support because he's clearly not Mr. Popular these days. This wasn't the first time he's done this in more recent years.

I propose a long-term truce with the U.S. military.

Anyway, like his custom in his late 2004 tapes, he goes on to make the same comments that we hear out of the Democrats all day every day here. Fox News has the transcript. A sample:

Iraq has now become a point of attraction to all qualified people the mujahadeen.....

So you see how Bush was misleading people. The opinion polls are for the pull out and it's important that opinion polls say the people didn't want to fight the Muslims in their land and they didn't want the Muslims to fight them in their land.

While I personally have believed he may be dead, even for a couple years (been on the fence for a while), the CIA, as always, confirms that they think it is him. Anyway, I don't think we should view this as anything more than a response to the successful bombing of high level al Qaedas in Pakistan the other day.

Anyway, it's odd enough that Bin Laden is offering a truce... but couple that with the President of France (of all places!), Jacques Chirac, threatening terrorists with Nukes and I about fell out of my chair!

BREST, France (Reuters) - France said on Thursday it would be ready to use nuclear weapons against any state that carried out a terrorist attack against it, reaffirming the need for its nuclear deterrent.

"The leaders of states who would use terrorist means against us, as well as those who would consider using in one way or another weapons of mass destruction, must understand that they would lay themselves open to a firm and adapted response on our part," Chirac said during a visit to a nuclear submarine base in northwestern France.

"This response could be a conventional one. It could also be of a different kind."

So suddenly we have Chirac putting down the white flag in favor of nuclear arms, and Bin Laden getting ready to attend a peace rally? This is too much to digest right now...

Blog roundup:
Michelle Malkin, Michelle Malkin again, The Political Teen, Little Green Footballs, Junkyard Blog, The Jawa Report, Captain's Quarters, MacsMind, Iowa Voice, Public Figures.... Beware, Flap's Blog, Texas Fred, Rightwing Nuthouse, The New Editor, Murdoc Online, American Pie Revisted, The Strata-Sphere, The Political Pitbull, Sensible Mom, Stop the ACLU, The Pink Flamingo Bar & Grill, Rovian Conspiracy, Suitably Flip, Conservative Outpost, Law Hawk, Politechnical, Super Fun Power Hour, Publius Rendezvous, Conservative Revolution, Protein Wisdom, Low Earth Orbit, Uncooperative Blogger, Martin's Musings, Reverse Vampyr, Busblog, Rant Fever, Decision '08, In The Bullpen, Outside the Beltway, The Counterterrorism Blog 1, The Counterterrorism Blog 2, The Counterterrorism Blog 3, The Counterterrorism Blog 4, Wizbang

 

I credit Fox News in the title because this is where I heard it, and they are still talking about it as we speak... However the source is Reuters, and I found a link here. Just giving credit where it's due.

On to the story... It seems there is a "new" tape out from Bin Laden. I say "new" with quotes, because I don't know the details yet, so we don't know that it's recent, and we really don't know if he's alive... I've always felt it's possible that he's been dead for quite soe time. Either way, they're saying he promises new attacks in the U.S. The United States citizens are doing a sarcastic collective "shaking in our boots." Okay buddy, release your questionably legit tapes from your cave once or twice a year... pretty scary bud.

More (but not much)

UPDATE 9:17: Via AP
Jan 19, 10:13 AM EST

CAIRO, Egypt (AP) _ Al-Jazeera has broadcast an audiotape purportedly from Osama bin Laden, saying al-Qaida is making preparations for attacks in the United States (CORRECTS it to audiotape, sted videotape).

CAIRO, Egypt (AP) -- Al-Jazeera has broadcast an audiotape purportedly from Osama bin Laden, saying al-Qaida is making preparations for attacks in the United States (CORRECTS it to audiotape, sted videotape).

© 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy.

UPDATE 9:22: Fox News now has a link up, but nothing new. Hopefully these pages I've will update as news becomes available, and translations of the tape are confirmed. Fox News is also reporting that Bin Laden may offer a truce on the tapes... that would be weird though, because all the other reports are that he said they're preparing to attack us... but at the same time one of his supposed tapes in 2004 was trying to come from the "fredom fighter" angle, basically saying that Al Qaeda attacks were only the result of continued U.S. agression and presence in the region. If that was him at that time, it was a change of tone obviously used as a desperate attempt to gain support as they continue to lose it.

UPDATE: 9:26 FROM THEMURCHANNEL.COM

Al-Jazeera Airs Purported New Bin Laden Tape

POSTED: 10:08 am EST January 19, 2006
UPDATED: 10:26 am EST January 19, 2006

CAIRO, Egypt -- Al-Jazeera aired an audiotape purportedly from Osama bin Laden on Thursday, saying al-Qaida is making preparations for attacks in the United States but offering a truce to rebuild Iraq and Afghanistan.

The voice on the tape said heightened security measures in the United States are not the reason there have been no attacks there since the Sept. 11, 2001, suicide hijackings.

Instead, the reason is "because there are operations that need preparations, and you will see them," he said.

"Based on what I have said, it is better not to fight the Muslims on their land," he said. "We do not mind offering you a truce that is fair and long-term. ... So we can build Iraq and Afghanistan ... there is no shame in this solution because it prevents wasting of billions of dollars ... to merchants of war."

The speaker did not give conditions for a truce in the excerpts aired by the Arab broadcaster.

Refresh this page later for updates.

Same Here

More: My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy

 

Just a quick post on something I found kind of funny.

I will often check out Yahoo! News, because they run a lot of the AP and Reuters wire stuff, and I can sometimes catch the less obvious examples of liberal bias before the wire services change and correct things. Well, no luck on that front so far today, but I did find this AP article, talking about how the President's State of the Union speech will focus heavily on health care costs.

Okay, interesting news, right? Yeha, I think so. Particularly as a self employed individual, who currently doesn't have health insurance, I'll be interested to see if this amounts to anything. To be clear, despite lacking insurance becuase of the cost, I don't believe that "rich" people should pay more taxes so that the large majority of us who make and pay in much less can get free health care.

Anyway, I don't see what the story has to do with Laura Bush watching Nigerian dancers on her recent swing through West Africa.

Again, I'm not seing bias in this particular instance.... It's just weird. I've got to assume it's some sort of automated thing that makes images show up next to the article, but they're usually relevant. So perhaps this isn't human error, but some sort of artificial intelligence malfunction? Either way, it just struck me as funny to read the bold headline with that out of place photo below it, particularly because Mrs. Bush isn't mentioned in the article at all.

Back on the healthcare issue for a moment, I haven't had the chance to really look in to this yet, but my aunt mentioned it to me the other day, and thought I'd let the Christians out there take a look (sorry, non-Christians need not apply). Medi-Share.

 

hat tip: Michelle Malkin

You might remember that the blogosphere ripped apart the NY Times a few days ago, for clearly staging a photo for maximum heartstring pulling impact, or at the very least, stupidly running with a photo with a false caption because it suited their agenda. Either way, it was unacceptable. At least they apologized, but at some point they should just start getting it right instead of having to apologize....

Fast forward to today >> We are still not sure if we got Al Qaeda number 2 al-Zawahiri, but it's being reported that we did make an Al Qaeda Kebab... or is it Khabab? As in Abu Khabab al-Masri, also known as Midhat Mursi al-Sayid Umar.
Fox News:

The U.S. Justice Department names Midhat Mursi al-Sayid Umar, also known as Abu Khabab al-Masri, as an explosives expert and poisons trainer who operated a terrorist training camp at Derunta, near the eastern city of Jalalabad in Afghanistan.

In addition, it's looking like we got two other high level Qaeda targets, including one Abu Ubaida, who may or may not be a close relative, even a son-in-law, of Al-Zawahiri.

So to be clear, the NY Times and the Kos kids and the rest all wanted us to believe that we just sloppily killed some innocent families, but as he facts come in, it seems more and more like we went after and got the bad guys, and the verdit is still out on Zawahiri in particular.

More:
Michelle Malkin, Small Town Veteran, Flaps Blog, The Opinionator, LawHawk, Bright and Early, The Kellino Zone, Flopping Aces, Conservative Zone, Iowa Voice