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