World

Osama’s Final Writings Reveal Obsession With Public Image, Considered Changing Group’s Name

Osama’s Final Writings Reveal Obsession With Public Image, Considered Changing Group’s NameWASHINGTON (AP) — As Osama bin Laden watched his terrorist organization get picked apart, he lamented in his final writings that al-Qaida was suffering from a marketing problem. His group was killing too many Muslims and that was bad for business. The West was winning the public relations fight. All his old comrades were dead and he barely knew their replacements.

Faced with these challenges, bin Laden, who hated the United States and decried capitalism, considered a most American of business strategies. Like Blackwater, ValuJet and Philip Morris, perhaps what al-Qaida really needed was a fresh start under a new name.

The problem with the name al-Qaida, bin Laden wrote in a letter recovered from his compound in Pakistan, was that it lacked a religious element, something to convince Muslims worldwide that they are in a holy war with America.

Maybe something like Taifat al-Tawhed Wal-Jihad, meaning Monotheism and Jihad Group, would do the trick, he wrote. Or Jama‘at I’Adat al-Khilafat al-Rashida, meaning Restoration of the Caliphate Group.

As bin Laden saw it, the problem was that the group’s full name, al-Qaida al-Jihad, for The Base of Holy War, had become short-handed as simply al-Qaida. Lopping off the word “jihad,” bin Laden wrote, allowed the West to “claim deceptively that they are not at war with Islam.” Maybe it was time for al-Qaida to bring back its original name.

The letter, which was undated, was discovered among bin Laden’s recent writings. Navy SEALs stormed his compound and killed him before any name change could be made. The letter was described by senior administration, national security and other U.S. officials only on condition of anonymity because the materials are sensitive. The documents portray bin Laden as a terrorist chief executive, struggling to sell holy war for a company in crisis.

At the White House, the documents were taken as positive reinforcement for President Barack Obama‘s effort to eliminate religiously charged words from the government’s language of terrorism. Words like “jihad,” which also has a peaceful religious meaning, are out. “Islamic radical” has been nixed in favor of “terrorist” and “mass murderer.” Though former members of President George W. Bush’s administration have backed that effort, it also has drawn ridicule from critics who said the president was being too politically correct.

“The information that we recovered from bin Laden’s compound shows al-Qaida under enormous strain,” Obama said Wednesday in his speech to the nation on withdrawing troops from Afghanistan. “Bin Laden expressed concern that al-Qaida had been unable to effectively replace senior terrorists that had been killed and that al-Qaida has failed in its effort to portray America as a nation at war with Islam, thereby draining more widespread support.”

Bin Laden wrote his musings about renaming al-Qaida as a letter but, as with many of his writings, the recipient was not identified. Intelligence officials have determined that bin Laden only communicated with his most senior commanders, including his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri, and his No. 3, Mustafa Abu al-Yazid, according to one U.S. official. Because of the courier system bin Laden used, it’s unclear to U.S. intelligence whether the letter ever was sent.

Al-Yazid was killed in a U.S. airstrike last year. Zawahri has replaced bin Laden as head of al-Qaida.

In one letter sent to Zawahri within the past year or so, bin Laden said al-Qaida’s image was suffering because of attacks that have killed Muslims, particularly in Iraq, officials said. In other journal entries and letters, they said, bin Laden wrote that he was frustrated that many of his trusted longtime comrades, whom he’d fought alongside in Afghanistan, had been killed or captured.

Using his courier system, bin Laden could still exercise some operational control over al-Qaida. But increasingly the men he was directing were younger and inexperienced. Frequently, the generals who had vouched for these young fighters were dead or in prison. And bin Laden, unable to leave his walled compound and with no phone or Internet access, was annoyed that he did not know so many people in his own organization.

The U.S. has essentially completed the review of documents taken from bin Laden’s compound, officials said, though intelligence analysts will continue to mine the data for a long time.

Comments (60)

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  • last frontier
    Posted on June 24, 2011 at 12:13pm

    And that is how the liberals changed there name to progressives.

    Report Post » last frontier  
  • moparcar
    Posted on June 24, 2011 at 12:06pm

    Perhaps he contacted Eric Holder to get an idea from him with a new name for Al Queda. I am sure Holder would help him because he sure wants American to fail. Look at his lying about knowing nothing about Fast and Furious.
    Look at Waco, Cllinton knew, Janet Reno knew, these are democrats they plan their illegal moves together. That way they are all involved and won’t rat on each other, thereby implicating themselves.

    Report Post »  
  • capecodsully
    Posted on June 24, 2011 at 11:45am

    When you murder innocent women, children and anyone who disagrees with you, in the name of your god satan, there is no need to try to put a religious spin on it. You’re not fooling anyone who has a brain in their head. It’s only the ignorant young men who will hide behind women and children and blow themselves up, who are fooled by your propaganda.

    Report Post »  
  • Rayblue
    Posted on June 24, 2011 at 10:30am

    Could change the name to; Al-Gnatbearda So Longa.
    Or Al-Gora Deswindla.
    who cares..
    I thought it was about Obadbraina too.

    Report Post » Rayblue  
  • semihardrock
    Posted on June 24, 2011 at 10:29am

    From the playbook of Progressives!

    Report Post » semihardrock  
  • Drum Man
    Posted on June 24, 2011 at 10:26am

    Loose Lips Sink Ships. STFU Washington!

    Report Post » Drum Man  
  • SpreadingTheNews
    Posted on June 24, 2011 at 10:25am

    I wonder if he thought about changing his own name? From what I discovered, the name Osama Bin Laden may actually be a riddle. In fact, there’s a group of people online posing as marketing experts who look more like the feds most wanted seen here http://illuminaticonspiracy.blogspot.com

    Report Post »  
  • hi
    Posted on June 24, 2011 at 10:23am

    They can change it to Acorn.

    Report Post » hi  
  • Dabldo
    Posted on June 24, 2011 at 9:45am

    Gee? He actually lived long enough to question (at least a little) what he created and how it eventually develops a life of its own.
    Muslims! Please! Stand up and question your leaders and where they are taking you! It does NOT have to be this way! Let Osama be an example to you what happens when you (and your children) go this way! America welcomes everyone……..who doesnt try to kill us. Thats all we ask.

    Report Post »  
  • TheDebtWeAllPay
    Posted on June 24, 2011 at 9:30am

    Good riddance

    Report Post » TheDebtWeAllPay  
  • Stu Pedaso
    Posted on June 24, 2011 at 9:28am

    You can call a turd a diamond, but it is still a TURD.
    You cannot change your image by changing your name.
    You only change your image by changing your actions. I do not see that they would EVER change their actions. They are all just wired wrong!!!

    Report Post » Stu Pedaso  
  • nomercy63
    Posted on June 24, 2011 at 9:25am

    all smoke folks!! where are the pictures and lets hear the burial at sea stuff and lets ask the black Jesus what gives him authority to use American troops as a murder squad!

    Report Post »  
  • billybe123
    Posted on June 24, 2011 at 9:25am

    Oooops!! To Late!!! lol lol

    Report Post » billybe123  
  • Warphead
    Posted on June 24, 2011 at 9:19am

    I can’t think of any better image of osama as that of him standing at the bottom of the ocean with half of his head missing. It really is a good look for him. Don’t you agree?

    Report Post » Warphead  
    • Warphead
      Posted on June 24, 2011 at 9:20am

      The only look better would be a shave and that knappy hair slicked back with a little bacon fat.

      Report Post » Warphead  
  • Sicialian Eyeball
    Posted on June 24, 2011 at 8:50am

    Sorry….. thought the article was about 0bama and he wanted to change the name of the Demorat party.

    Report Post »  
  • Fight for America
    Posted on June 24, 2011 at 8:36am

    A marketing problem.

    Yes, that happens to mass murderers who use religion as an excuse to try to take over the world so they can remain in the Stone Age and Dark Ages instead of growing up.

    Report Post »  
  • hottips2011
    Posted on June 24, 2011 at 8:24am

    I read somwhere Osama had contracted with the Nat’l Endowment for the Arts
    to come up with the name and new logo/image……wouldn’t surprize me one bit.

    Report Post » hottips2011  
    • The_Bees_Assume
      Posted on June 24, 2011 at 11:15am

      But we still don’t know where the logos they drew are? Really! They are being suppressed by Eric Holder. That way we can’t get the impeachments filed.

      Report Post » MONICNE  
  • olddog
    Posted on June 24, 2011 at 8:24am

    Sounds like he’d been in touch with the liberals in the BO admin..if people don’t like it, change the name to confuse them…The people that are so easily confused are liberals=followers..

    Report Post » olddog  
  • hud
    Posted on June 24, 2011 at 8:13am

    The USofA the best there ever was at killing aholes. zawahri peek out of your rat hole and we will send you to join obl(no caps for aholes).

    Report Post »  
  • Gonzo
    Posted on June 24, 2011 at 8:08am

    “Osama Considered Changing Group’s Name” and maybe a spiffy new logo like Obama has. Why not, it worked on millions of American idiots.

    Report Post » Gonzo  
  • bluzrider
    Posted on June 24, 2011 at 8:07am

    Bin Laden thought his terrorist group had an image problem? Wonder why?

    When you tell people to go kill yourself and take a bunch of innocents with you, but you stay cozy within the comfy confines within Pakistan and do nothing but preach hate.

    Maybe there are some people within the Muslim world that actually think for themselves, and reject this B.S. of 70 virgins waiting for them in heaven.

    I just wish they would come out and decry the sheer madness of what al-Qaida stood for and what they preached.

    Report Post »  
  • jessieH
    Posted on June 24, 2011 at 8:03am

    So, he played the muslims like obama plays us. We knew how to take bin laden out. Now, what do we do about osama, I mean obama?

    Report Post »  
  • whereareyourbrains
    Posted on June 24, 2011 at 7:47am

    Who cares

    Report Post » whereareyourbrains  
    • FREDD The WILSON
      Posted on June 24, 2011 at 9:32am

      I agree.He is tenderizer in a bag now. His organization is splintered. The new no. 1 man is an a**hole that other members of Al- Qaida hate. Now if we can focus in and find ol’ Hairy and snuff him out we can decimate even more of those cochroaches.

      Report Post » FREDD The WILSON  
  • SICKOFPCNESS
    Posted on June 24, 2011 at 7:39am

    Call it what you want…it is the hand of Satan.

    Report Post »  
    • txbigfoot
      Posted on June 24, 2011 at 7:50am

      so where is this alleged leaked information coming from?
      someone needs to go to jail.

      Report Post » txbigfoot  
  • Ironmaan
    Posted on June 24, 2011 at 7:19am

    Hmm… how can we put a shine on a organization that murders, stones, cuts, cuts heads off, puts boms in shoes and underware, and flies planes into buildings?
    http://guerillatics.com

    Report Post »  
    • Obama Bin Lying
      Posted on June 24, 2011 at 7:45am

      For a man who hated the west, he sure grasped their Business concept real well. Just more proof of Hypocrisy from the religion of peace. Want to Build a Mosque to show your dominance and victory, just call it a Cultural center. Want to raise funds for terrorists, creat CAIR, and sue the hell out of anyone who speaks out against the Cult of perpetual anger

      Report Post » Obama Bin Lying  
    • grandmaof5
      Posted on June 24, 2011 at 8:01am

      Perhaps taken out of the Van Jones playbook: change the name to appear to be more main stream normal while really continuing to be radical. I wonder how long ago Obama and Osama (poet & didn’t know it LOL) had that conversation? If only Osama had more time to become more Obama-like, perhaps he could have given a speech to our honored military and blown it. At least he would have had the excuse he was holed up in Pakistan, there is no excuse for Obama.

      Report Post »  
    • Anonymous T. Irrelevant
      Posted on June 24, 2011 at 8:24am

      “bin Laden, who hated the United States and decried capitalism,”

      Sounds like a lot of posters on here, such as Encinom/Monicne, Aaron in Polk County, etc :-)

      Report Post » Anonymous T. Irrelevant  
    • ecurbyy
      Posted on June 24, 2011 at 8:26am

      I swear when I read this head line I thought it said Obama was obsessed with public image and was considering changing his groups name. Sounded about right..

      Report Post » ecurbyy  
    • randy
      Posted on June 24, 2011 at 8:53am

      @ECURBYY My thoughts exactly.

      OSAMA’S FINAL WRITINGS REVEAL OBSESSION WITH PUBLIC IMAGE, CONSIDERED CHANGING GROUP’S NAME

      could very well read, and would make perfect sense…..

      OBAMA’S FINAL WRITINGS REVEAL OBSESSION WITH PUBLIC IMAGE, CONSIDERED CHANGING GROUP’S NAME

      Report Post » randy  
    • Sound The Trumpet In Zion
      Posted on June 24, 2011 at 9:06am

      Why don’t they just print a book listing hundreds of names that they could rename themselves with to give themselves a sense of “honor”. Or even print out everything that bin laden has ever wanted and let the terrorists know what bin laden wants them to do. Who needs bin laden when the main stream media is doing such a great job of letting them know what he wants his terrorists to do.

      Report Post » Sound The Trumpet In Zion  
    • Obama Bin Lying
      Posted on June 24, 2011 at 9:15am

      If they want to rename themselves, how about “Murderous DoucheBags”.

      Report Post » Obama Bin Lying  
    • Tit of the Iceberg
      Posted on June 24, 2011 at 9:36am

      Maybe, if they were alive If he renamed it Le-Queda, then everybody would think of french pancakes and napoiyans.

      Report Post » MONICNE  
    • TomFerrari
      Posted on June 24, 2011 at 9:43am

      I thought obama and the washington gang had agreed to,

      SHUT THE HELL UP !!!

      And, stop releasing information on this.
      Every little bit of information we release adds to their knowledge of what we know, and how we know it.

      Analyze it, use it, act on it, but STOP TALKING ABOUT IT!

      Report Post » TomFerrari  
    • HillBillySam1
      Posted on June 24, 2011 at 9:48am

      Well, with all of his problems and worries, we can be comforted with the knowledge of the very last thing that went thru his mind……a bullet from the rifle of a Seal Team Six member…….I feel better already……

      Report Post »  
    • ozchambers
      Posted on June 24, 2011 at 9:51am

      Following his death at the hands of the infidel elite, he’s gotten more press and media face time since 9/11. He must be so pleased to be seeing this while he BURNS IN HELL.

      Report Post » ozchambers  
    • V-MAN MACE
      Posted on June 24, 2011 at 10:06am

      What a joke!!

      Bin Ladin has BEEN DEAD for over 9 years, folks.

      This is the CIA putting this garbage out, flooding the public with disinformation and propaganda.

      Al Qaeda doesn’t have a religious meaning because it is a word derived from a CIA database. It means “the database”. The so-called “terrorists” called themselves Mujahideen.

      ““The truth is, there is no Islamic army or terrorist group called Al Qaida. And any informed intelligence officer knows this. But there is a propaganda campaign to make the public believe in the presence of an identified entity representing the ‘devil’ only in order to drive the ‘TV watcher’ to accept a unified international leadership for a war against terrorism. The country behind this propaganda is the US and the lobbyists for the US war on terrorism are only interested in making money.”

      http://www.prisonplanet.com/al-qaeda-the-database.html

      Report Post » V-MAN MACE  
    • fastfacts
      Posted on June 24, 2011 at 10:51am

      I GUESS REP. PETER KING WAS RIGHT AND IS VINDICATED

      So it was 8 days after Rep. King’s House Hearing on Muslim Radicalization in Prisons that two Muslim male converts were caught planning an attack on a Seattle Recruiting center. ( http://tiny.cc/qgz9y )

      Report Post »  
    • Margyt
      Posted on June 24, 2011 at 1:13pm

      I think we should give GWB some credit here for cutting off the head of the snake. The real war on terror was the one that cut off funding and communication. Think what power OBL and his crowd might have had otherwise. Yes, their are other snakes but I was glad to read that this one was decapitated long prior to his burial. Evokes memories of a hidey-hole in Iraq and a despot in fruit-of-the-looms. May it be so with all of their friends.

      Report Post »  
    • Czar Casm
      Posted on June 24, 2011 at 3:59pm

      He could of called it the Democrat Party East or the RINO Republican Party East. Both don’t give a crap about America.

      Report Post »  
    • Ruler4You
      Posted on June 24, 2011 at 7:53pm

      Hummm. Changing their name.. sounds like A.C.O.R.N.

      Report Post » Ruler4You  
    • godhead
      Posted on June 24, 2011 at 8:53pm

      YOu mean the guy that Obama “smoked out of his cave”? The guy Obama got “dead or alive”? The guy Obama got after Bush let him go at Tora Bora and then sat around with his thumb up his butt for eight years? That Osama?

      Report Post »  
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