Penny Manis
AC360 Senior Producer
Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden is believed to be speaking out in an audio message posted on a radical Islamist Web site, calling for a ‘holy war’ against Israel to stop the aggression in Gaza.
Last time we heard from this bad boy was in May of last year, timed to coincide with Israel’s 60th anniversary. In that last message he had urged followers to ‘liberate Palestine’. Last night, Larry King asked President Bush if we are ever going to find America’s Enemy #1, and the Prez said absolutely, we’ve got a lot of people looking and he can’t run forever.
OBL has been in hiding since the 9/11 attacks, and there is a $25 million reward leading to his capture. (hey so if you know where he is, cough him up already). Peter Bergen (an analyst who is one of the few people in the world to have met and interviewed OBL many years ago) may join us tonight to put his latest message in perspective.
Israel continues to launch a military offensive in Gaza which they say will root out Hamas militants. The death toll is nearing 1,000 in Gaza, including more than 300 children according to Palestinian medical sources. The Israeli toll stands at 13, as of this writing. Un Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is in the region trying to mediate. Earlier in the week he urged both sides to “just stop” the fighting.
Nic Robertson follows the latest.
On our home turf, more of President-Elect’s cabinet picks are having confirmation hearings today. We saw Hillary Clinton on Cap Hill yday, she spent a lot of time answering questions related to Bill’s foreign donors to ensure no conflicts of interest, and outlined what she saw as the US’s greatest challenges overseas. Overall, it was a pretty warm welcome from the Hill to Hill and she is expected to be confirmed as Secretary of State next week.
President-elect Obama got tough yesterday, he warned that he may issue a veto if members of Congress don’t get behind his plan to release the remaining $350 billion of the $700 bn financial bailout. We’ll continue to follow this story today with Candy Crowley.
And Drew Griffin tells us of the flighty pilot/financial manager who has now been caught. He is accused of faking his own death after scamming his customers. He was found at a camp site in Florida and police officers took him to a nearby hospital after an apparent suicide attempt.
Police believe he defrauded investors through 3 companies he owns before attempting an odd vanishing act by taking off on a plane which then crashed, but not before he may have parachuted to the ground. Talk about extreme behavior, ay ya ya.
See u tonight.
| Michelle D. Fonthill,Ont |
January 14th, 2009 8:55 am ET Good morning Penny Take care and stay warm |
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| Cindy |
January 14th, 2009 8:58 am ET It’s been so long since we have seen Osama in a video I am wondering if he is even alive! They can have someone faking his voice saying these things you know! You would think that he’d want to be seen. But then again he is a coward and makes others do his dirty work so…I’m hoping that they can analyze the voice and see if it is really him. It’s so nice to see the dems getting along with Obama so well!! LOL I knew that it wouldn’t be a cake walk for him. His own party is now bucking him. I find that hilarious!! I am glad that they found Marcus Schrenker and that he didn’t get away. He is stupid for jumping out of a plane and letting it crash like that. I hope that he gets major time in prison. If he wasn’t corrupt and stealing from people he wouldn’t have had to do this crazy stunt. Crime never pays!! Cindy…Ga. |
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| Isabel, RJ, Brazil |
January 14th, 2009 9:33 am ET HOLY WAR? 19 days of a stupid war with more than 970 dead, including at least 311 children. And more: face-to-stick BL comment on the American economic crisis. I, with the ‘best of intentions’, often Im ashamed to do with my comments. Proclaim a war that is decadent. |
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| Masa |
January 14th, 2009 9:35 am ET This is getting ridicolous. First we’re told that “they” organized one of the most complex terror attacks, then we don’t see more than blurred videos in badest quality (worst than teen’s cellphone videos), now an audio message saying “we are the financial crisis!”. I’d like to call it comedy if it wasn’t so dead serious. Nobody can expect us to believe that scenario… Masa. |
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| Isabel, RJ, Brazil |
January 14th, 2009 9:36 am ET PS. To soften my comment that was a bit evil created. Good morning, Penny! |
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| Annie Kate |
January 14th, 2009 9:40 am ET So Osama just surfaces with a tape on really opportune and important occasions now. Guess hiding isn’t as easy as one might think. I know that several of the higher up al Queda people have been killed, but we never seem to get Osama. It may not make a difference if we do, but I wish we would get him just for the satisfaction it would give us all in this country to know he is gone and cannot plan any more terror against our country. I’m looking forward to the day CNN can announce that Osama is dead and that it has been verified. It can’t come soon enough. |
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| Sushil R Sawant |
January 14th, 2009 10:04 am ET I think it is about time that we truly know if Osama Bin Laden is Alive or Dead too much blood has been shed in his name in order to either find him or to demobilize him and his assets wether tangible or intangible , what happened on 9/11 was a big tragedy and America weeped blood tears but so did the brave mothers of United States Of America who sent their loved ones to protect our country and continue to weep every single day to date. America demands answers and enough of this suspicious tapes and messages |
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| Michelle |
January 14th, 2009 10:07 am ET It figures. BIn Laden shows up at the time of |
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| Joanne, Solvay, NY |
January 14th, 2009 10:56 am ET The salient factor is that there is no limit to the resolve of those involved in any form of religious conflict. It is this ideology that allows for the atrocities within the twisted reality of the collective mind of terrorists. There is no stopping them. |
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| earle,florida |
January 14th, 2009 11:03 am ET One thing is for sure,OBL has exposed our corrupt financial capitalist system for what it was/is a big “Ponsi Scheme”, and in a abstract way has brought this country to it’s knee’s,… |
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