KUWAITIS ARGUE TAPE OFFERS PROOF OF BIN LADEN'S

UNCLAS KUWAIT 003821 STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/PPD SECDEF FOR OASD/PA USCINCCENT FOR POLAD E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL KDMR KU SUBJECT: KUWAITIS ARGUE TAPE OFFERS PROOF OF BIN LADEN'S GUILT REF: KUWAIT 3757 ¶1. TWO INFLUENTIAL KUWAITIS WROTE COLUMNS RECENTLY ARGUING THAT THE TAPE OF BIN LADEN RELEASED BY THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT CONSTITUTED UNDENIABLE EVIDENCE OF HIS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE SEPTEMBER 11 ATTACKS. A MEMBER OF THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD AND WELL-KNOWN COLUMNIST, FAISAL AL- ZAMEL, STATED THAT BIN LADEN HAD "FULLY CONVICTED HIMSELF IN THE VIDEOTAPE." SAMI AL-NUSF, THE MEDIA ADVISOR TO ACTING PRIME MINISTER AND FOREIGN MINISTER SHAYKH SABAH, RIDICULED BIN LADEN AND HIS DREAM-BASED ACTIVITIES. BELOW ARE KEY EXCERPTS FROM THE COLUMNS. -------------- "THE BIN LADEN TAPE" -------------- ¶2. THE KUWAITI DAILY "AL-ANBA" PUBLISHED DECEMBER 19 A COLUMN BY ISLAMIST FAISAL AL-ZAMEL. HE ARGUED, "OSAMA BIN LADEN HAS FULLY CONVICTED HIMSELF IN THE VIDEOTAPE. THEREFORE, THE CREDIBILITY OF THE TAPE SHOULD NOT BE DOUBTED BECAUSE IT IS AS CLEAR AS DAYLIGHT." -------------- "THE DEAD IN TORA BORA" -------------- ¶3. AL-ANBA ALSO PUBLISHED DECEMBER 19 A COLUMN BY SAMI ABDUL-LATIF AL-NUSF, THE MEDIA ADVISOR TO SHAYKH SABAH. AL- NUSF ARGUED: "WE WONDERED IN THE PAST ABOUT THE BASIS UPON WHICH BIN LADEN BASED HIS WAR AND THE ENSUING VICTORY HE EXPECTED. THE ANSWER CAME IN THE VIDEOTAPE WHERE IT BECAME EVIDENT THAT THIS OPERATION WAS BASED ON THE DREAMS SEEN BY BIN LADEN'S FOLLOWERS. IS THIS THE ISLAMIC PROJECT FOR THE AGE OF COMPUTERS, SPACE, AND GENETIC ENGINEERING? IS THIS THE ISLAMIC PROJECT SEEN BY THESE 'DISSIDENTS' (ARABIC TERM USED TO REFER TO THE DISSIDENTS DURING THE PROPHET MOHAMED'S ERA) AS THE ANSWER FOR HUMANITY'S DILEMMAS AND THE CHALLENGES OF THIS NEW AGE?" JONES