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Wed. Sep 10, 2003

Al Qaeda says Boo! (again?)

Those calendar conscious boys are back, with their semi-regular rant about our imminent demise at their hands: “ ‘....Devour the Americans just like the lions devour their prey. Bury them in the Iraqi graveyard,’ said the voice attributed to al-Zawahri.”

“The voice promised the Americans more attacks. ‘We assert that what you saw till now are only the first skirmishes. ... The true epic has not begun. Brace yourselves for the punishment for your crimes,’ said the voice on the tape.”

The voice promised more attacks. Haven’t we been here before (6/25/2003)? Again (5/20/2003) and again (attacks planned for last year’s anniversary) and again (October/2001, June/2002, July/2002)? Like some overworn Freddy and Jason, Bin Laden and al-Zawahri are back with their umpteenth sad sequel attempting to scare us, none of which have had a tiny fraction of the potency of the original.

Boo, my ass.

Yet this afternoon, CNN has been a-flutter with rumor mongering of some vague yet imminent threat around tomorrow’s anniversary of September 11. So much so that they tuned me out in total disgust with what came across to me like scare-mongering. I’m not naive, I’ve known since the morning of 9/11/2001 that Al Qaeda could spring another surprise on us, no matter how impotent they might appear to be (and, frankly, they’ve done little but appear really impotent for some time now).

But there will never be another September 11th, as we will never be caught that completely unaware again. Yes, new horrors might occur, any day. But we’ve known that for two years now. On September 10th, the majority of us did not have a clue that our sense security could be shattered so suddenly and violently. We went about our mostly naive lives, clueless about those who plotted against us, seemingly immune to those nasty bombings “over there,” and completely innocent to the threat “right here.”

Now, no matter what they might pull, and no matter how many tapes they release, I won’t be shocked or surprised. In my mind, an attack has been imminent for two years … we’re at war. It’s a low level, low intensity conflict, but to not call it “war” is simply denial. So the fact the enemy has released a new tape threatening new attacks is old news.

Perhaps some people need the jolt of a tape like this to remind them they live at some level of threat every day. To me, the tape is of interest only in that they continue to reveal their true nature with their own words. Last week, we heard how they think the biggest threat to their “cause” isn’t the American military, but American Democracy: “This form of ‘unbelief’ persuades the people that they are in charge of their destiny and that, using their collective reasoning, they can shape policies and pass laws as they see fit.” And we just can’t have Muslims being in charge of their own destinies, that won’t do at all. They fear it will “make Muslims love this world, forget the next world and abandon jihad,” and that democracy will bring economic prosperity to Muslims, who will then be “reluctant to die in martyrdom.”

What a dastardly plot we have woven, this “American Democracy,” a plot 200 years in the making. No wonder they hate us.

But even they realize that not all those who hate us believe it’s also Okey-Dokey to murder the innocent, even Capitalist Infidels. Osama’s got an answer for them: “Those who don’t agree with killing, then let them step out of the way. I would say to them, those who are afraid of climbing mountains will live in pits and holes.”

Murder is an accomplishment on a par with mountain climbing? Failure to murder means a life “in pits and holes”? Particularly notable is that those who disagree with the killing are supposed to simply stand aside, not fight for their beliefs. Just shut up and get out of the way … or you might be next.

Well, I know that I vent for naught. I haven’t flipped back to CNN to see if they’re still scare-mongering, but you don’t have too look far to find lemmings: “Stocks extended losses in mid-afternoon trade on Wednesday as what was said to be a new tape showing al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden rattled investors a day before the second anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States.”

Good Lord, people, get a grip.