1 The Long War Journal: Bin Laden says climate change is a 'fact,' denounces the dollar

Written by Bill Roggio on January 29, 2010 9:22 AM to 1 The Long War Journal

Available online at: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2010/01/bin_laden_says_clima.php

Al Qaeda's top leader released his second audiotape in a week. In his latest tape, Osama bin Laden blamed "the industrial countries, particularly the great ones" for global warming and the world's financial crisis, and said nations should drop the dollar as a currency.

Like the audiotape released on Jan. 24, bin Laden's latest tape was released directly to Al Jazeera and not through As Sahab, al Qaeda's propaganda outlet.

Bin Laden said that climate change is a "fact" and was caused by "industrial countries."

"Talking about climate change is not intellectual luxury; it is an actual fact," bin Laden said. "All the industrial countries, particularly the great ones, are responsible for global warming. The majority of them, however, signed the Kyoto Protocol and agreed to end the emission of harmful gases. Bush Junior, however, and the Congress before him, rejected this pact to appease the giant corporations."

Bin Laden then blamed the "giant corporations" for the financial crisis and said world leaders support their actions.

"They themselves are standing behind speculations, monopoly, and the soaring living costs for people," bin Laden said. "They are also behind globalization and its tragic repercussions. Whenever the perpetrators fall due to their evils deeds, the heads of states rush to rescue them using public funds."

Bin Laden cited leftist intellectual Noam Chomsky, who he said "was correct when he indicated a resemblance between the American policies and those of the mafia gangs. Those are the real terrorists."

Bin Laden mentioned Chomsky in a previous audiotape released in September 2009, where he praised the author and recommended his book.

Finally, bin Laden suggested that the world should renounce the dollar to ""liberate humanity from slavery and dependence on America and its corporations," despite the "grave repercussions and huge impact" of doing so. "Regardless of what will be said about the repercussions of this decision, the repercussions of remaining their slaves are far greater and more dangerous."

Al Qaeda often attempts to latch onto populist causes to use them to attack the United States and the West. In his last tape, bin Laden again embraced the Palestinians' fight against Israel as al Qaeda's struggle, a message that is often repeated by Ayman al Zawahiri. Bin Laden previously mentioned global warming in the September 2009 audiotape.