NYer
01-20-2006, 02:21 PM
James Robbins opines on the latest Bin Laden tape: "As an intellectual piece, it's not his best work. (http://www.nationalreview.com/robbins/robbins200601200801.asp)
It is easy to see why Osama would want a truce. His movement is losing the battle of hearts and minds. A recent opinion poll in Afghanistan showed that despite Osama’s offer to help rebuild the country, 83 percent of Afghans already say their country is moving in the right direction. 81 percent of Afghans view the U.S. favorably, with 83 percent approving of U.S. troop presence in-country. Meanwhile 88 percent have an unfavorable view of the Taliban, 82 percent think overthrowing them was a good thing, and 90 percent view Osama bin Laden unfavorably, with 75 percent of that total being "very unfavorable." In Iraq, there are increasing signs of strain between the indigenous resistance forces and the foreign fighters led by Osama’s puppet — sorry, I mean local emir — Zarqawi, and al Qaeda threats against the December parliamentary elections turned out to be hollow.
It is easy to see why Osama would want a truce. His movement is losing the battle of hearts and minds. A recent opinion poll in Afghanistan showed that despite Osama’s offer to help rebuild the country, 83 percent of Afghans already say their country is moving in the right direction. 81 percent of Afghans view the U.S. favorably, with 83 percent approving of U.S. troop presence in-country. Meanwhile 88 percent have an unfavorable view of the Taliban, 82 percent think overthrowing them was a good thing, and 90 percent view Osama bin Laden unfavorably, with 75 percent of that total being "very unfavorable." In Iraq, there are increasing signs of strain between the indigenous resistance forces and the foreign fighters led by Osama’s puppet — sorry, I mean local emir — Zarqawi, and al Qaeda threats against the December parliamentary elections turned out to be hollow.