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.

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"THE BIN LADEN TAPE"
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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."

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"THE DEAD IN TORA BORA"
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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