Transcript of
Bin Laden Video Tape
The following is the English translation
of a videotape showing Osama bin Laden discussing the Sept. 11 attacks
with friends, as supplied by the Pentagon:
(Transcript and annotations independently
prepared by George Michael, translator, Diplomatic Language Services; and
Dr. Kassem M. Wahba, Arabic language program coordinator, School of Advanced
International Studies, Johns Hopkins University. They collaborated on their
translation and compared it with translations done by the U.S. government
for consistency. There were no inconsistencies in the translations.)
In mid-November, Usama Bin Laden
spoke to a room of supporters, possibly in Qandahar, Afghanistan. These
comments were video taped with the knowledge of Bin Laden and all present.
Note: The tape is approximately
one hour long and contains three different segments: an original taping
of a visit by some people to the site of the downed U.S. helicopter in
Ghazni province (approximately 12 minutes long); and two segments documenting
a courtesy visit by Bin Laden and his lieutenants to an unidentified Shaykh,
who appears crippled from the waist down. The visit apparently takes place
at a guesthouse in Qandahar. The sequence of the events is reversed on
the tape-the end of his visit is in the beginning of the tape with the
helicopter site visit in the middle and the start of the Usama bin Laden
visit beginning approximately 39 minutes into the tape. The tape is transcribed
below according to the proper sequence of events.
Due to the quality of the original
tape, it is NOT a verbatim transcript of every word spoken during the meeting,
but does convey the messages and information flow.
EDITOR’S NOTE: 39 minutes into tape,
first segment of the bin Laden meeting, begins after footage of helicopter
site visit
Shaykh: (...inaudible...) You have
given us weapons, you have given us hope and we thank Allah for you. We
don’t want to take much of your time, but this is the arrangement of the
brothers. People now are supporting us more, even those ones who did not
support us in the past, support us more now. I did not want to take that
much of your time. We praise Allah, we praise Allah. We came from Kabul.
We were very pleased to visit. May Allah bless you both at home and the
camp. We asked the driver to take us, it was a night with a full moon,
thanks be to Allah. Believe me it is not in the country side. The elderly...everybody
praises what you did, the great action you did, which was first and foremost
by the grace of Allah. This is the guidance of Allah and the blessed fruit
of jihad.
UBL: Thanks to Allah. What is the
stand of the Mosques there (in Saudi Arabia)?
Shaykh: Honestly, they are very
positive. Shaykh Al-Bahrani (phonetic) gave a good sermon in his class
after the sunset prayers. It was videotaped and I was supposed to carry
it with me, but unfortunately, I had to leave immediately.
UBL: The day of the events?
Shaykh: At the exact time of the
attack on America, precisely at the time. He (Bahrani) gave a very impressive
sermon. Thanks be to Allah for his blessings. He (Bahrani) was the first
one to write at war time. I visited him twice in Al-Qasim.
UBL: Thanks be to Allah.
Shaykh: This is what I asked from
Allah. He (Bahrani) told the youth: “You are asking for martyrdom and wonder
where you should go (for martyrdom)?” Allah was inciting them to go. I
asked Allah to grant me to witness the truth in front of the unjust ruler.
We ask Allah to protect him and give him the martyrdom, after he issued
the first fatwa. He was detained for interrogation, as you know. When he
was called in and asked to sign, he told them, “don’t waste my time, I
have another fatwa. If you want me, I can sign both at the same time.”
UBL: Thanks be to Allah.
Shaykh: His position is really
very encouraging. When I paid him the first visit about a year and half
ago, he asked me, “How is Shaykh Bin-Ladin?” He sends you his special regards.
As far as Shaykh Sulayman ‘Ulwan is concerned, he gave a beautiful fatwa,
may Allah bless him. Miraculously, I heard it on the Quran radio station.
It was strange because he (‘Ulwan) sacrificed his position, which is equivalent
to a director. It was transcribed word-by-word. The brothers listened to
it in detail. I briefly heard it before the noon prayers. He (‘Ulwan) said
this was jihad and those people were not innocent people (World Trade Center
and Pentagon victims). He swore to Allah. This was transmitted to Shaykh
Sulayman Al ((‘Umar)) Allah bless him.
UBL: What about Shaykh Al-((Rayan))?
Shaykh: Honestly, I did not meet
with him. My movements were truly limited.
UBL: Allah bless you. You are welcome.
Shaykh: (Describing the trip to
the meeting) They smuggled us and then I thought that we would be in different
caves inside the mountains so I was surprised at the guest house and that
it is very clean and comfortable. Thanks be to Allah, we also learned that
this location is safe, by Allah’s blessings. The place is clean and we
are very comfortable.
UBL: (...Inaudible...) when people
see a strong horse and a weak horse, by nature, they will like the strong
horse. This is only one goal; those who want people to worship the lord
of the people, without following that doctrine, will be following the doctrine
of Muhammad, peace be upon him.
(UBL quotes several short and incomplete
Hadith verses, as follows):
“I was ordered to fight the people
until they say there is no god but Allah, and his prophet Muhammad.”
“Some people may ask: why do you
want to fight us?”
“There is an association between
those who say: I believe in one god and Muhammad is his prophet, and those
who don’t (...inaudible...)
“Those who do not follow the true
fiqh. The fiqh of Muhammad, the real fiqh. They are just accepting what
is being said at face value.”
UBL: Those youth who conducted
the operations did not accept any fiqh in the popular terms, but they accepted
the fiqh that the prophet Muhammad brought. Those young men (...inaudible...)
said in deeds, in New York and Washington, speeches that overshadowed all
other speeches made everywhere else in the world. The speeches are understood
by both Arabs and non-Arabs-even by Chinese. It is above all the media
said. Some of them said that in Holland, at one of the centers, the number
of people who accepted Islam during the days that followed the operations
were more than the people who accepted Islam in the last eleven years.
I heard someone on Islamic radio who owns a school in America say: “We
don’t have time to keep up with the demands of those who are asking about
Islamic books to learn about Islam.” This event made people think (about
true Islam) which benefited Islam greatly.
Shaykh: Hundreds of people used
to doubt you and few only would follow you until this huge event happened.
Now hundreds of people are coming out to join you. I remember a vision
by Shaykh Salih Al-((Shuaybi)). He said: “There will be a great hit and
people will go out by hundreds to Afghanistan.” I asked him (Salih): “To
Afghanistan?” He replied, “Yes.” According to him, the only ones who stay
behind will be the mentally impotent and the liars (hypocrites). I remembered
his saying that hundreds of people will go out to Afghanistan. He had this
vision a year ago. This event discriminated between the different types
of followers.
UBL: (...Inaudible...) we calculated
in advance the number of casualties from the enemy, who would be killed
based on the position of the tower. We calculated that the floors that
would be hit would be three or four floors. I was the most optimistic of
them all. (...Inaudible...) due to my experience in this field, I was thinking
that the fire from the gas in the plane would melt the iron structure of
the building and collapse the area where the plane hit and all the floors
above it only. This is all that we had hoped for.
Shaykh: Allah be praised.
UBL: We were at (...inaudible...)
when the event took place. We had notification since the previous Thursday
that the event would take place that day. We had finished our work that
day and had the radio on. It was 5:30 p.m. our time. I was sitting with
Dr. Ahmad Abu-al-((Khair)). Immediately, we heard the news that a plane
had hit the World Trade Center. We turned the radio station to the news
from Washington. The news continued and no mention of the attack until
the end. At the end of the newscast, they reported that a plane just hit
the World Trade Center.
Shaykh: Allah be praised.
UBL: After a little while, they
announced that another plane had hit the World Trade Center. The brothers
who heard the news were overjoyed by it.
Shaykh: I listened to the news
and I was sitting. We didn’t...we were not thinking about anything, and
all of a sudden, Allah willing, we were talking about how come we didn’t
have anything, and all of a sudden the news came and everyone was overjoyed
and everyone until the next day, in the morning, was talking about what
was happening and we stayed until four o’clock, listening to the news every
time a little bit different, everyone was very joyous and saying “Allah
is great,” “Allah is great,” “We are thankful to Allah,” “Praise Allah.”
And I was happy for the happiness of my brothers. That day the congratulations
were coming on the phone non-stop. The mother was receiving phone calls
continuously. Thank Allah. Allah is great, praise be to Allah.
(Quoting the verse from the Quran)
Shaykh: “Fight them, Allah will
torture them, with your hands, he will torture them. He will deceive them
and he will give you victory. Allah will forgive the believers, he is knowledgeable
about everything.”
Shaykh: No doubt it is a clear
victory. Allah has bestowed on us...honor on us...and he will give us blessing
and more victory during this holy month of Ramadan. And this is what everyone
is hoping for. Thank Allah America came out of its caves. We hit her the
first hit and the next one will hit her with the hands of the believers,
the good believers, the strong believers. By Allah it is a great work.
Allah prepares for you a great reward for this work. I’m sorry to speak
in your presence, but it is just thoughts, just thoughts. By Allah, who
there is no god but him. I live in happiness, happiness...I have not experienced,
or felt, in a long time. I remember, the words of Al-Rabbani, he said they
made a coalition against us in the winter with the infidels like the Turks,
and others, and some other Arabs. And they surrounded us like the days...in
the days of the prophet Muhammad. Exactly like what’s happening right now.
But he comforted his followers and said, “This is going to turn and hit
them back.” And it is a mercy for us. And a blessing to us. And it will
bring people back. Look how wise he was. And Allah will give him blessing.
And the day will come when the symbols of Islam will rise up and it will
be similar to the early days of Al-Mujahedeen and Al-Ansar (similar to
the early years of Islam). And victory to those who follow Allah. Finally
said, if it is the same, like the old days, such as Abu Bakr and Othman
and Ali and others. In these days, in our times, that it will be the greatest
jihad in the history of Islam and the resistance of the wicked people.
Shaykh: By Allah my Shaykh. We
congratulate you for the great work. Thank Allah.
Tape ends here
Second segment of Bin Laden’s visit,
shows up at the front of the tape
UBL: Abdallah Azzam, Allah bless
his soul, told me not to record anything (...inaudible...) so I thought
that was a good omen, and Allah will bless us (...inaudible...). Abu-Al-Hasan
Al-((Masri)), who appeared on Al-Jazeera TV a couple of days ago and addressed
the Americans saying: “If you are true men, come down here and face us.”
(...inaudible...) He told me a year ago: “I saw in a dream, we were playing
a soccer game against the Americans. When our team showed up in the field,
they were all pilots!” He said: “So I wondered if that was a soccer game
or a pilot game? Our players were pilots.” He (Abu-Al-Hasan) didn’t know
anything about the operation until he heard it on the radio. He said the
game went on and we defeated them. That was a good omen for us.
Shaykh: May Allah be blessed.
Unidentified Man Off Camera: Abd
Al Rahman Al-(Ghamri) said he saw a vision, before the operation, a plane
crashed into a tall building. He knew nothing about it.
Shaykh: May Allah be blessed!
Sulayman ((Abu Guaith)): I was
sitting with the Shaykh in a room, then I left to go toanother room where
there was a TV set. The TV broadcasted the big event. The scene was showing
an Egyptian family sitting in their living room, they exploded with joy.
Do you know when there is a soccer game and your team wins, it was the
same expression of joy. There was a subtitle that read: “In revenge for
the children of Al Aqsa’, Usama Bin Ladin executes an operation against
America.” So I went back to the Shaykh (meaning UBL) who was sitting in
a room with 50 to 60 people. I tried to tell him about what I saw, but
he made gesture with his hands, meaning: “I know, I know…”
UBL: He did not know about the
operation. Not everybody knew (...inaudible...). Muhammad ((Atta)) from
the Egyptian family (meaning the Al Qa’ida Egyptian group), was in charge
of the group.
Shaykh: A plane crashing into a
tall building was out of anyone’s imagination. This was a great job. He
was one of the pious men in the organization. He became a martyr. Allah
bless his soul.
Shaykh (Referring to dreams and
visions): The plane that he saw crashing into the building was seen before
by more than one person. One of the good religious people has left everything
and come here. He told me, “I saw a vision, I was in a huge plane, long
and wide. I was carrying it on my shoulders and I walked from the road
to the desert for half a kilometer. I was dragging the plane.” I listened
to him and I prayed to Allah to help him. Another person told me that last
year he saw, but I didn’t understand and I told him I don’t understand.
He said, “I saw people who left for jihad...and they found themselves in
New York...in Washington and New York.” I said, “What is this?” He told
me the plane hit the building. That was last year. We haven’t thought much
about it. But, when the incidents happened he came to me and said, “Did
you see...this is strange.” I have another man...my god...he said and swore
by Allah that his wife had seen the incident a week earlier. She saw the
plane crashing into a building...that was unbelievable, my god.
UBL: The brothers, who conducted
the operation, all they knew was that they have a martyrdom operation and
we asked each of them to go to America but they didn’t know anything about
the operation, not even one letter. But they were trained and we did not
reveal the operation to them until they are there and just before they
boarded the planes.
UBL: (...inaudible...) then he
said: Those who were trained to fly didn’t know the others. One group of
people did not know the other group. (...inaudible...) (Someone in the
crowd asks UBL to tell the Shaykh about the dream of ((Abu-Da’ud)).
UBL: We were at a camp of one of
the brother’s guards in Qandahar. This brother belonged to the majority
of the group. He came close and told me that he saw, in a dream, a tall
building in America, and in the same dream he saw Mukhtar teaching them
how to play karate. At that point, I was worried that maybe the secret
would be revealed if everyone starts seeing it in their dream. So I closed
the subject. I told him if he sees another dream, not to tell anybody,
because people will be upset with him. (Another person’s voice can be heard
recounting his dream about two planes hitting a big building).
UBL: They were overjoyed when the
first plane hit the building, so I said to them: be patient.
UBL: The difference between the
first and the second plane hitting the towers was twenty minutes. And the
difference between the first plane and the plane that hit the Pentagon
was one hour.
Shaykh: They (the Americans) were
terrified thinking there was a coup.
[Note: Ayman Al-Zawahri says first
he commended UBL’s awareness of what the media is saying. Then he says
it was the first time for them (Americans) to feel danger coming at them.]
UBL (reciting a poem):I witness
that against the sharp blade
They always faced difficulties
and stood together...
When the darkness comes upon us
and we are bit by a
Sharp tooth, I say...
“Our homes are flooded with blood
and the tyrant
Is freely wandering in our homes”...
And from the battlefield vanished
The brightness of swords and the
horses...
And over weeping sounds now
We hear the beats of drums and
rhythm…
They are storming his forts
And shouting: “We will not stop
our raids
Until you free our lands”...
Bin Laden visit footage complete.
Footage of the visit to the helicopter site follows the poem.
The following is the English translation
of a videotape showing Osama bin Laden discussing the Sept. 11 attacks
with friends, as supplied by the Pentagon:
(Transcript and annotations independently
prepared by George Michael, translator, Diplomatic Language Services; and
Dr. Kassem M. Wahba, Arabic language program coordinator, School of Advanced
International Studies, Johns Hopkins University. They collaborated on their
translation and compared it with translations done by the U.S. government
for consistency. There were no inconsistencies in the translations.)
In mid-November, Usama Bin Laden
spoke to a room of supporters, possibly in Qandahar, Afghanistan. These
comments were video taped with the knowledge of Bin Laden and all present.
Note: The tape is approximately
one hour long and contains three different segments: an original taping
of a visit by some people to the site of the downed U.S. helicopter in
Ghazni province (approximately 12 minutes long); and two segments documenting
a courtesy visit by Bin Laden and his lieutenants to an unidentified Shaykh,
who appears crippled from the waist down. The visit apparently takes place
at a guesthouse in Qandahar. The sequence of the events is reversed on
the tape-the end of his visit is in the beginning of the tape with the
helicopter site visit in the middle and the start of the Usama bin Laden
visit beginning approximately 39 minutes into the tape. The tape is transcribed
below according to the proper sequence of events.
Due to the quality of the original
tape, it is NOT a verbatim transcript of every word spoken during the meeting,
but does convey the messages and information flow.
EDITOR’S NOTE: 39 minutes into tape,
first segment of the bin Laden meeting, begins after footage of helicopter
site visit
Shaykh: (...inaudible...) You have
given us weapons, you have given us hope and we thank Allah for you. We
don’t want to take much of your time, but this is the arrangement of the
brothers. People now are supporting us more, even those ones who did not
support us in the past, support us more now. I did not want to take that
much of your time. We praise Allah, we praise Allah. We came from Kabul.
We were very pleased to visit. May Allah bless you both at home and the
camp. We asked the driver to take us, it was a night with a full moon,
thanks be to Allah. Believe me it is not in the country side. The elderly...everybody
praises what you did, the great action you did, which was first and foremost
by the grace of Allah. This is the guidance of Allah and the blessed fruit
of jihad.
UBL: Thanks to Allah. What is the
stand of the Mosques there (in Saudi Arabia)?
Shaykh: Honestly, they are very
positive. Shaykh Al-Bahrani (phonetic) gave a good sermon in his class
after the sunset prayers. It was videotaped and I was supposed to carry
it with me, but unfortunately, I had to leave immediately.
UBL: The day of the events?
Shaykh: At the exact time of the
attack on America, precisely at the time. He (Bahrani) gave a very impressive
sermon. Thanks be to Allah for his blessings. He (Bahrani) was the first
one to write at war time. I visited him twice in Al-Qasim.
UBL: Thanks be to Allah.
Shaykh: This is what I asked from
Allah. He (Bahrani) told the youth: “You are asking for martyrdom and wonder
where you should go (for martyrdom)?” Allah was inciting them to go. I
asked Allah to grant me to witness the truth in front of the unjust ruler.
We ask Allah to protect him and give him the martyrdom, after he issued
the first fatwa. He was detained for interrogation, as you know. When he
was called in and asked to sign, he told them, “don’t waste my time, I
have another fatwa. If you want me, I can sign both at the same time.”
UBL: Thanks be to Allah.
Shaykh: His position is really
very encouraging. When I paid him the first visit about a year and half
ago, he asked me, “How is Shaykh Bin-Ladin?” He sends you his special regards.
As far as Shaykh Sulayman ‘Ulwan is concerned, he gave a beautiful fatwa,
may Allah bless him. Miraculously, I heard it on the Quran radio station.
It was strange because he (‘Ulwan) sacrificed his position, which is equivalent
to a director. It was transcribed word-by-word. The brothers listened to
it in detail. I briefly heard it before the noon prayers. He (‘Ulwan) said
this was jihad and those people were not innocent people (World Trade Center
and Pentagon victims). He swore to Allah. This was transmitted to Shaykh
Sulayman Al ((‘Umar)) Allah bless him.
UBL: What about Shaykh Al-((Rayan))?
Shaykh: Honestly, I did not meet
with him. My movements were truly limited.
UBL: Allah bless you. You are welcome.
Shaykh: (Describing the trip to
the meeting) They smuggled us and then I thought that we would be in different
caves inside the mountains so I was surprised at the guest house and that
it is very clean and comfortable. Thanks be to Allah, we also learned that
this location is safe, by Allah’s blessings. The place is clean and we
are very comfortable.
UBL: (...Inaudible...) when people
see a strong horse and a weak horse, by nature, they will like the strong
horse. This is only one goal; those who want people to worship the lord
of the people, without following that doctrine, will be following the doctrine
of Muhammad, peace be upon him.
(UBL quotes several short and incomplete
Hadith verses, as follows):
“I was ordered to fight the people
until they say there is no god but Allah, and his prophet Muhammad.”
“Some people may ask: why do you
want to fight us?”
“There is an association between
those who say: I believe in one god and Muhammad is his prophet, and those
who don’t (...inaudible...)
“Those who do not follow the true
fiqh. The fiqh of Muhammad, the real fiqh. They are just accepting what
is being said at face value.”
UBL: Those youth who conducted
the operations did not accept any fiqh in the popular terms, but they accepted
the fiqh that the prophet Muhammad brought. Those young men (...inaudible...)
said in deeds, in New York and Washington, speeches that overshadowed all
other speeches made everywhere else in the world. The speeches are understood
by both Arabs and non-Arabs-even by Chinese. It is above all the media
said. Some of them said that in Holland, at one of the centers, the number
of people who accepted Islam during the days that followed the operations
were more than the people who accepted Islam in the last eleven years.
I heard someone on Islamic radio who owns a school in America say: “We
don’t have time to keep up with the demands of those who are asking about
Islamic books to learn about Islam.” This event made people think (about
true Islam) which benefited Islam greatly.
Shaykh: Hundreds of people used
to doubt you and few only would follow you until this huge event happened.
Now hundreds of people are coming out to join you. I remember a vision
by Shaykh Salih Al-((Shuaybi)). He said: “There will be a great hit and
people will go out by hundreds to Afghanistan.” I asked him (Salih): “To
Afghanistan?” He replied, “Yes.” According to him, the only ones who stay
behind will be the mentally impotent and the liars (hypocrites). I remembered
his saying that hundreds of people will go out to Afghanistan. He had this
vision a year ago. This event discriminated between the different types
of followers.
UBL: (...Inaudible...) we calculated
in advance the number of casualties from the enemy, who would be killed
based on the position of the tower. We calculated that the floors that
would be hit would be three or four floors. I was the most optimistic of
them all. (...Inaudible...) due to my experience in this field, I was thinking
that the fire from the gas in the plane would melt the iron structure of
the building and collapse the area where the plane hit and all the floors
above it only. This is all that we had hoped for.
Shaykh: Allah be praised.
UBL: We were at (...inaudible...)
when the event took place. We had notification since the previous Thursday
that the event would take place that day. We had finished our work that
day and had the radio on. It was 5:30 p.m. our time. I was sitting with
Dr. Ahmad Abu-al-((Khair)). Immediately, we heard the news that a plane
had hit the World Trade Center. We turned the radio station to the news
from Washington. The news continued and no mention of the attack until
the end. At the end of the newscast, they reported that a plane just hit
the World Trade Center.
Shaykh: Allah be praised.
UBL: After a little while, they
announced that another plane had hit the World Trade Center. The brothers
who heard the news were overjoyed by it.
Shaykh: I listened to the news
and I was sitting. We didn’t...we were not thinking about anything, and
all of a sudden, Allah willing, we were talking about how come we didn’t
have anything, and all of a sudden the news came and everyone was overjoyed
and everyone until the next day, in the morning, was talking about what
was happening and we stayed until four o’clock, listening to the news every
time a little bit different, everyone was very joyous and saying “Allah
is great,” “Allah is great,” “We are thankful to Allah,” “Praise Allah.”
And I was happy for the happiness of my brothers. That day the congratulations
were coming on the phone non-stop. The mother was receiving phone calls
continuously. Thank Allah. Allah is great, praise be to Allah.
(Quoting the verse from the Quran)
Shaykh: “Fight them, Allah will
torture them, with your hands, he will torture them. He will deceive them
and he will give you victory. Allah will forgive the believers, he is knowledgeable
about everything.”
Shaykh: No doubt it is a clear
victory. Allah has bestowed on us...honor on us...and he will give us blessing
and more victory during this holy month of Ramadan. And this is what everyone
is hoping for. Thank Allah America came out of its caves. We hit her the
first hit and the next one will hit her with the hands of the believers,
the good believers, the strong believers. By Allah it is a great work.
Allah prepares for you a great reward for this work. I’m sorry to speak
in your presence, but it is just thoughts, just thoughts. By Allah, who
there is no god but him. I live in happiness, happiness...I have not experienced,
or felt, in a long time. I remember, the words of Al-Rabbani, he said they
made a coalition against us in the winter with the infidels like the Turks,
and others, and some other Arabs. And they surrounded us like the days...in
the days of the prophet Muhammad. Exactly like what’s happening right now.
But he comforted his followers and said, “This is going to turn and hit
them back.” And it is a mercy for us. And a blessing to us. And it will
bring people back. Look how wise he was. And Allah will give him blessing.
And the day will come when the symbols of Islam will rise up and it will
be similar to the early days of Al-Mujahedeen and Al-Ansar (similar to
the early years of Islam). And victory to those who follow Allah. Finally
said, if it is the same, like the old days, such as Abu Bakr and Othman
and Ali and others. In these days, in our times, that it will be the greatest
jihad in the history of Islam and the resistance of the wicked people.
Shaykh: By Allah my Shaykh. We
congratulate you for the great work. Thank Allah.
Tape ends here
Second segment of Bin Laden’s visit,
shows up at the front of the tape
UBL: Abdallah Azzam, Allah bless
his soul, told me not to record anything (...inaudible...) so I thought
that was a good omen, and Allah will bless us (...inaudible...). Abu-Al-Hasan
Al-((Masri)), who appeared on Al-Jazeera TV a couple of days ago and addressed
the Americans saying: “If you are true men, come down here and face us.”
(...inaudible...) He told me a year ago: “I saw in a dream, we were playing
a soccer game against the Americans. When our team showed up in the field,
they were all pilots!” He said: “So I wondered if that was a soccer game
or a pilot game? Our players were pilots.” He (Abu-Al-Hasan) didn’t know
anything about the operation until he heard it on the radio. He said the
game went on and we defeated them. That was a good omen for us.
Shaykh: May Allah be blessed.
Unidentified Man Off Camera: Abd
Al Rahman Al-(Ghamri) said he saw a vision, before the operation, a plane
crashed into a tall building. He knew nothing about it.
Shaykh: May Allah be blessed!
Sulayman ((Abu Guaith)): I was
sitting with the Shaykh in a room, then I left to go toanother room where
there was a TV set. The TV broadcasted the big event. The scene was showing
an Egyptian family sitting in their living room, they exploded with joy.
Do you know when there is a soccer game and your team wins, it was the
same expression of joy. There was a subtitle that read: “In revenge for
the children of Al Aqsa’, Usama Bin Ladin executes an operation against
America.” So I went back to the Shaykh (meaning UBL) who was sitting in
a room with 50 to 60 people. I tried to tell him about what I saw, but
he made gesture with his hands, meaning: “I know, I know…”
UBL: He did not know about the
operation. Not everybody knew (...inaudible...). Muhammad ((Atta)) from
the Egyptian family (meaning the Al Qa’ida Egyptian group), was in charge
of the group.
Shaykh: A plane crashing into a
tall building was out of anyone’s imagination. This was a great job. He
was one of the pious men in the organization. He became a martyr. Allah
bless his soul.
Shaykh (Referring to dreams and
visions): The plane that he saw crashing into the building was seen before
by more than one person. One of the good religious people has left everything
and come here. He told me, “I saw a vision, I was in a huge plane, long
and wide. I was carrying it on my shoulders and I walked from the road
to the desert for half a kilometer. I was dragging the plane.” I listened
to him and I prayed to Allah to help him. Another person told me that last
year he saw, but I didn’t understand and I told him I don’t understand.
He said, “I saw people who left for jihad...and they found themselves in
New York...in Washington and New York.” I said, “What is this?” He told
me the plane hit the building. That was last year. We haven’t thought much
about it. But, when the incidents happened he came to me and said, “Did
you see...this is strange.” I have another man...my god...he said and swore
by Allah that his wife had seen the incident a week earlier. She saw the
plane crashing into a building...that was unbelievable, my god.
UBL: The brothers, who conducted
the operation, all they knew was that they have a martyrdom operation and
we asked each of them to go to America but they didn’t know anything about
the operation, not even one letter. But they were trained and we did not
reveal the operation to them until they are there and just before they
boarded the planes.
UBL: (...inaudible...) then he
said: Those who were trained to fly didn’t know the others. One group of
people did not know the other group. (...inaudible...) (Someone in the
crowd asks UBL to tell the Shaykh about the dream of ((Abu-Da’ud)).
UBL: We were at a camp of one of
the brother’s guards in Qandahar. This brother belonged to the majority
of the group. He came close and told me that he saw, in a dream, a tall
building in America, and in the same dream he saw Mukhtar teaching them
how to play karate. At that point, I was worried that maybe the secret
would be revealed if everyone starts seeing it in their dream. So I closed
the subject. I told him if he sees another dream, not to tell anybody,
because people will be upset with him. (Another person’s voice can be heard
recounting his dream about two planes hitting a big building).
UBL: They were overjoyed when the
first plane hit the building, so I said to them: be patient.
UBL: The difference between the
first and the second plane hitting the towers was twenty minutes. And the
difference between the first plane and the plane that hit the Pentagon
was one hour.
Shaykh: They (the Americans) were
terrified thinking there was a coup.
[Note: Ayman Al-Zawahri says first
he commended UBL’s awareness of what the media is saying. Then he says
it was the first time for them (Americans) to feel danger coming at them.]
UBL (reciting a poem):I witness
that against the sharp blade
They always faced difficulties
and stood together...
When the darkness comes upon us
and we are bit by a
Sharp tooth, I say...
“Our homes are flooded with blood
and the tyrant
Is freely wandering in our homes”...
And from the battlefield vanished
The brightness of swords and the
horses...
And over weeping sounds now
We hear the beats of drums and
rhythm…
They are storming his forts
And shouting: “We will not stop
our raids
Until you free our lands”...
Bin Laden visit footage complete.
Footage of the visit to the helicopter site follows the poem.
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