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| Iraq-Jordan |
| Binny offers $136,000 for Bremer's head |
| 2004-05-06 |
| A statement attributed to Osama bin Laden (news - web sites) offered rewards in gold valued at nearly $136,000 Thursday for the killing of top U.S. and U.N. officials in Iraq (news - web sites). The transcript of an audio recording dated Thursday appeared on two Web sites known for militant Islamic messages. The Web sites gave links to hear the statement, but none were working. The authenticity of the statement could not immediately be verified. Bin Laden had never been known to offer rewards for missions he had described as followers' religious duty to carry out. "You know that America promised big rewards for those who kill mujahedeen (holy warriors)," the transcript read. "We in al-Qaida organization will guarantee, God willing, 10,000 grams of gold to whoever kills the occupier Bremer, or the American chief commander or his deputy in Iraq." "For security reasons, the rewards will be given as soon as conditions permit, God willing," the transcript read. "As for those who die while killing an occupying solider, the great prize will be for us and for him when God grants him martyrdom, and the smaller prize (the gold) will be for his family." The statement also promised the same reward for the deaths of U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan (news - web sites) and his envoy to Iraq, Lakhdar Brahimi. "The United Nations (news - web sites) is nothing but a Zionists' tool, even if it worked under the cover of providing humanitarian aid," the statement said. "... Whoever kills Kofi Annan or the head of his commission in Iraq or a representative like Lakhdar Brahimi, he will be awarded the same prize of 10,000 grams of gold." The statement promised a lesser prize — 1,000 grams of gold — to anyone killing a citizen of countries it called "the masters of the veto like Americans and Britons" — a reference to nations with veto power on the U.N. Security Council. And it offered 500 grams of gold to anyone killing citizens of countries it called "slaves of the Security Council who are in Iraq, like Japan and Italy." With gold selling Thursday on London exchanges for $387.60 an ounce, 10,000 grams of gold was valued at $135,660, 1,000 grams at $13,566, and 500 grams at $6,783. The statement appeared on two Web sites, the Ansar Islam Forum and the Islamic Research Center. Both are clearing-houses for statements by al-Qaida and other Islamic militant groups. The transcript also denounced U.S. plans to hand sovereignty to Iraqis on June 30, calling them a trick to end the resistance that has killed hundreds of U.S. soldiers. "The so-called handing sovereignty over to Iraqis is an overt trick, to anesthetize the people and abort the militant resistance, and (such a trick) will not deceive the true mujahedeen of the sons of Iraq," the statement said. "There is no sovereignty for Iraq as long as a crusader solider remains in its land, and no sovereignty for Iraq as long as it is not ruled by Islam." It urged Iraqis to fight a holy war against their U.S.-appointed Governing Council, which it called a "puppet" of the U.S.-led coalition and "a tool to pass their plans to the people and a way to show their hatred of religion." "Therefore, jihad (holy war) is obligatory for all Muslims in Iraq," the statement read. The statement was titled: "A Word from the emir of the Islamic armies, Osama, to the nation and especially to brotherly Muslims in Iraq." It used language similar to previous bin Laden statements, laden with Quranic verse. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #19 This may come to blows when Zawahiri figures out that UBL is dipping into his buddy's Roth IRA to jack up the bounty. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2004-05-07 3:42:24 AM |
| #18 I thought al Qaeda had nothing to do with Iraq. I guess we were all wrong. |
| Posted by: Tresho 2004-05-06 11:45:37 PM |
| #17 HAHA. It's devolved to this: He USED to appeal to allah, etc., to get his unwashed masses (and I DO MEAN "unwashed!") to do his dirtywork. Now he has to resort to a few bucks! Hilarious! And the irony is, he'll probably get more takers for $136K than for those skanky virgins in the hereafter! |
| Posted by: PlanetDan 2004-05-06 9:16:11 PM |
| #16 The statement also promised the same reward for the deaths of U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan (news - web sites) and his envoy to Iraq, Lakhdar Brahimi. The ol' secretary general can't catch a break. Everybody wants a piece of his behind. |
| Posted by: BigEd 2004-05-06 8:07:12 PM |
| #15 Let's see....we offer millions for his sorry ass, and all he can counter with is $136K? Guess that family fortune ain't what it used to be. |
| Posted by: Desert Blondie 2004-05-06 8:00:44 PM |
| #14 Osama oughtta know by now that us Yanks don't do metric...list that reward in Troy ounces ferallanssake! |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2004-05-06 7:53:37 PM |
| #13 "The United Nations is nothing but a Zionists' tool." Hmm, I hadn't noticed that myself. The statement promised a lesser prize — 1,000 grams of gold — to anyone killing a citizen of countries it called "the masters of the veto like Americans and Britons" — a reference to nations with veto power on the U.N. Security Council. Lessee, (1) Kofi needs a cap in his ass because the UN is a Zionist tool that must be stopped, and (2) countries that interfere with the UN by vetoing its actions are Zionist tools that must be stopped. Sensible, persuasive, and logical--clearly this is the will of Allan. |
| Posted by: sludj 2004-05-06 7:04:56 PM |
| #12 Inquiring minds want to know, for the 500 gram offer, is it limited to nationals in Iraq or does it extend to nationals in their own country? Are the Spanish included until June 30? Is there a sweetner for Zippy? Are there quantity discounts? Is payment fob Pakistan? |
| Posted by: Mr. Davis 2004-05-06 6:57:58 PM |
| #11 LC Matthew, I wouldn't go a penney over $1.00 on that. |
| Posted by: Lil Dhimmi 2004-05-06 6:50:15 PM |
| #10 The question is, assuming the target gets blown away, how someone collects on an offer like this. How does one get paid by bin Laden if you don't know where to find him? Especially when looking for him could bring unwanted attention upon the seekers? |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2004-05-06 6:49:44 PM |
| #9 $136,000 thousand in grams of gold. Why not $140.000? $150.000? There must be some sick lunar reasoning behind this set figure of numbers by 'ULB' (if this is not another phoney statement) What will ULB do, hold a press conference for the payoff? What a lot of baloney from terrorist losers! |
| Posted by: Mark Espinola 2004-05-06 6:47:02 PM |
| #8 I'm offering up $50 for Kofi's nuts in a plastic bag. Him and the rest of the worthless UN-a-crats. |
| Posted by: LC Matthew 2004-05-06 6:46:50 PM |
| #7 rewards will be given as soon as conditions permit, God willing A built-in 'out' from paying if ever I heard one. |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2004-05-06 6:43:42 PM |
| #6 Only $136,000? That's cause the rest of Osama's fortune is buried by bunker-busters in Afghanistan. Of course if these folks don't understand money, so we are told, then why is OBL making such an offer? I guess they are listening to our "propoganda" broadcasts, and have learned what money is. If so, they are going to laugh at OBL, and take us up on the $50,000,000 for his head. |
| Posted by: BigEd 2004-05-06 5:57:01 PM |
| #5 You know you're pathetic when the reward for your death is the same as a UN bureaucrat... |
| Posted by: Carl in N.H 2004-05-06 5:53:14 PM |
| #4 So martyrdom and the glory of Allah does not seem to be so marketable as they used to be. That is good. We are making some headway. Also Kofi is on Binny's sh-t list. Well Kofi! Congradulations! Come over to the White House and have some coffee with GWB. We all have something significant in common now. We have 10 kilogram gold prices on our heads. Oh, the imagery! |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2004-05-06 5:51:03 PM |
| #3 £1.50 for your cojones, raghead. |
| Posted by: Howard UK 2004-05-06 5:47:00 PM |
| #2 $136,000? That's all you can come up with? Cheapskate. |
| Posted by: Mike 2004-05-06 5:36:17 PM |
| #1 WOOHOO! Sign Numero Uno that we're getting to the rat bastard! USA! USA! USA! (And so much for that whine from the Left that Iraq's "not connected with the 9/11 attacks or the WOT!") |
| Posted by: Jen 2004-05-06 5:33:46 PM |