US embassy cable - 01KUWAIT3821

UNCLAS KUWAIT 003821 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/PPD 
SECDEF FOR OASD/PA 
USCINCCENT FOR POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, KDMR, KU 
SUBJECT: KUWAITIS ARGUE TAPE OFFERS PROOF OF BIN LADEN'S 
GUILT 
 
REF:  KUWAIT 3757 
 
 
1.  TWO INFLUENTIAL KUWAITIS WROTE COLUMNS RECENTLY ARGUING 
THAT THE TAPE OF BIN LADEN RELEASED BY THE DEFENSE 
DEPARTMENT CONSTITUTED UNDENIABLE EVIDENCE OF HIS 
RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE SEPTEMBER 11 ATTACKS.  A MEMBER OF 
THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD AND WELL-KNOWN COLUMNIST, FAISAL AL- 
ZAMEL, STATED THAT BIN LADEN HAD "FULLY CONVICTED HIMSELF IN 
THE VIDEOTAPE."  SAMI AL-NUSF, THE MEDIA ADVISOR TO ACTING 
PRIME MINISTER AND FOREIGN MINISTER SHAYKH SABAH, RIDICULED 
BIN LADEN AND HIS DREAM-BASED ACTIVITIES.  BELOW ARE KEY 
EXCERPTS FROM THE COLUMNS. 
 
-------------------- 
"THE BIN LADEN TAPE" 
-------------------- 
 
2.  THE KUWAITI DAILY "AL-ANBA" PUBLISHED DECEMBER 19 A 
COLUMN BY ISLAMIST FAISAL AL-ZAMEL.  HE ARGUED, "OSAMA BIN 
LADEN HAS FULLY CONVICTED HIMSELF IN THE VIDEOTAPE. 
THEREFORE, THE CREDIBILITY OF THE TAPE SHOULD NOT BE DOUBTED 
BECAUSE IT IS AS CLEAR AS DAYLIGHT." 
 
----------------------- 
"THE DEAD IN TORA BORA" 
----------------------- 
 
3.  AL-ANBA ALSO PUBLISHED DECEMBER 19 A COLUMN BY SAMI 
ABDUL-LATIF AL-NUSF, THE MEDIA ADVISOR TO SHAYKH SABAH.  AL- 
NUSF ARGUED:  "WE WONDERED IN THE PAST ABOUT THE BASIS UPON 
WHICH BIN LADEN BASED HIS WAR AND THE ENSUING VICTORY HE 
EXPECTED.  THE ANSWER CAME IN THE VIDEOTAPE WHERE IT BECAME 
EVIDENT THAT THIS OPERATION WAS BASED ON THE DREAMS SEEN BY 
BIN LADEN'S FOLLOWERS.  IS THIS THE ISLAMIC PROJECT FOR THE 
AGE OF COMPUTERS, SPACE, AND GENETIC ENGINEERING?  IS THIS 
THE ISLAMIC PROJECT SEEN BY THESE 'DISSIDENTS' (ARABIC TERM 
USED TO REFER TO THE DISSIDENTS DURING THE PROPHET MOHAMED'S 
ERA) AS THE ANSWER FOR HUMANITY'S DILEMMAS AND THE 
CHALLENGES OF THIS NEW AGE?" 
 
 
JONES