The BBC has a message allegedly from Osama bin Laden, in which he offers a truce with Europe if it ceases “the destruction and killing of our kinfolk in Afghanistan, Iraq and Palestine”:
Based on the above, and in order to deny war merchants a chance and in response to the positive interaction shown by recent events and opinion polls, which indicate that most European peoples want peace, I ask honest people, especially ulema, preachers and merchants, to form a permanent committee to enlighten European peoples of the justice of our causes, above all Palestine. They can make use of the huge potential of the media.
I also offer a reconciliation initiative to them, whose essence is our commitment to stopping operations against every country that commits itself to not attacking Muslims or interfering in their affairs – including the US conspiracy on the greater Muslim world.
. . .
The reconciliation will start with the departure of its last soldier from our country.
The door of reconciliation is open for three months of the date of announcing this statement.
For those who reject reconciliation and want war, we are ready.
As for those who want reconciliation, we have given them a chance. Stop shedding our blood so as to preserve your blood. It is in your hands to apply this easy, yet difficult, formula. You know that the situation will expand and increase if you delay things.
If this happens, do not blame us – blame yourselves.
I’ve never fully understood how al Qaeda works. The standard media analysis has been that the organization has assumed a more loosely-knit horizontal structure since 9/11. If that’s the case, does Osama even have the influence to control the so-called terrorist cells, even if he wanted to? After all, there’s nothing he can do about free-lance attacks.
This is a moot issue, since no country is going to cut a deal with bin Laden. But it is interesting how little the public knows about how al Qaeda actually functions, despite all the media attention the group receives.