Bin Laden To Mark 9/11 With Video

Al Qaeda Says Its Leader Will Release Tape Ahead Of 6th Anniversary Of Terror Attacks

(CBS/AP)  Osama bin Laden will release a new video in the coming days ahead of the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks in what would be the first new images of the terror mastermind in nearly three years, al Qaeda's media arm announced Thursday.

Analysts noted that al Qaeda tends to mark the Sept. 11 anniversary with a slew of messages, and the Department of Homeland Security said it had no credible information warning of an imminent threat to the United States.

Still, bin Laden's appearance would be significant. The al Qaeda leader has not appeared in new video footage since October 2004, and he has not put out a new audiotape in more than a year, his longest period without a message.

One difference in his appearance was immediately obvious. The announcement had a still photo from the coming video, showing bin Laden addressing the camera, his beard fully black. In his past videos, bin Laden's beard was almost entirely gray with dark streaks.

Bin Laden's beard appears to have been dyed, a popular practice among Arab leaders, said Rita Katz, director of the SITE Institute, a Washington-based group that monitors terror messages.

"I think it works for their (al Qaeda's) benefit that he looks young, he looks healthy," Katz said.

The announcement and photo appeared in a banner advertisement on an Islamic militant Web site where al Qaeda's media arm, Al-Sahab, frequently posts messages.

"Soon, God willing, a videotape from the lion sheik Osama bin Laden, God preserve him," the advertisement read, signed by Al-Sahab. Such announcements are usually put out one to three days before the video is posted on the Web.

IntelCenter, which monitors Islamic Web sites and analyzes terror threats, said the video was expected within the next 72 hours, before the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 suicide hijacker attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

The anniversary has always been a major media event for al Qaeda, a chance for it to drum up support among extremists, tout itself as the leading militant group and show off its continued survival.

"They've always gone out of their way to commemorate it," said Ben Venzke, chief executive officer of IntelCenter, which is based in Alexandria, Va. "Historically the anniversary of 9-11 has never been drawn to attacks. It's drawn to video releases."

But the fact that bin Laden is delivering the message is significant, he said. Whether the message will indicate a potential attack will depend on what bin Laden says.

Homeland Security spokesman Russ Knocke said he could not confirm the existence of a tape, "and there is no credible information at this time warning of an imminent threat to the homeland." But he said increased activity overseas and recent arrests of militants in Germany reinforce the department's assessment that the country is currently in a period of increased risk.

If bin Laden does appear in new footage, it would be the first images of him since an Oct. 29, 2004, videotape, just before the U.S. presidential elections. In that appearance three years ago, he said America could avoid another 9-11 style attack if it stopped threatening Muslims.

The new video would also end the longest period bin Laden has gone without releasing a message. His last audiotape was on July 1, 2006, in which he welcomed new leader of al Qaeda in Iraq succeeding the slain Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

Bin Laden went silent for a similar long stretch before - from Dec. 28, 2004, to Jan. 19, 2006. That absence sparked widespread speculation he was ill, wounded or possibly dead.

There has been little such speculation since then. U.S. officials have repeatedly said over the past year they believe the al Qaeda leader is alive. He is thought to be hiding in the tribal regions of western Pakistan near the border with Afghanistan.

During bin Laden's silence, his deputy Egyptian-born Ayman al-Zawahri has been frequently issuing videos and audiotapes.

Al-Zawahri appeared in a 2006 video marking the 9-11 anniversary. An anniversary video in 2003 showed footage of bin Laden and al-Zawahri walking through mountain paths, with voice-over messages from both leaders.

Another message posted on a Jihadist Web site on Sept. 2, seems to warn that something is coming on the anniversary of 9/11: "There will be a special gift coming on the day of the blessed invasion of Manhattan."

Officials say the specificity of the threat caught their attention but point out there have been many similar warnings in the days leading up to previous 9/11 anniversaries, reports CBS News correspondent Bob Orr.

The "surprise" or "gift" may be the pending Bin Laden video, since previous online references to "surprises" turned out to be videos, an Internet terror analyst told CBS News science and technology correspondent Daniel Sieberg.

"I think the video is a part of a broader 9/11 marketing campaign launched by as-Sahab, al Qaeda's media arm, to commemorate September 11 and boost internal morale," the analyst said.

[freefall010]

Bin Laden will always invite his enemies to convet to Islam before he can carry out an attack against them. Hhhhhhhhhh... I wonder what his gift to us will be?

[tjcolatrella]

Who cares what this murderer has to say, really unless it is a tip off to another potential attack upon us or another nation..?

Bush and Cheney betrayed every victim of 9/11 some of them my friends at Tora Bora when they gave bin-Laden a truce and refused to send the troops the CIA and Special forces were begging for only 6-800 troops..so as to cut off his obvious escape route..!

This was the greatest betrayal by any President at a time of war in American History..

Also Rumsfled and Bush left American National Security in the hands of heroin dealers and known mass rapists like Dursten at Tora Bora and then were surprised when they took a pay off during the truce to let bin-Laden escape..!

Even if we needed to use a tactical nuke and blown the top off of the entire mountain to kill every one of the al-Qaeda and Taliban up there in the remote mountain fortress, then so be it we could have shown the world you don''t come to the United States and slaughter thousands and get away with it..

Bush our incompetent dishonest suspect Commander in Chief showed bin-Laden and all of Islam the exact opposite..

Why Congress does not completely investigate this betrayal at Tora Bora and consider Impeachment simply due to this disgraceful pusillanimous President''s cowardice if not complicity in the face of the enemy is beyond me..

[tjcolatrella]

Who cares what this murderer has to say, really unless it is a tip off to another potential attack upon us or another nation..?

Bush and Cheney betrayed every victim of 9/11 some of them my friends at Tora Bora when they gave bin-Laden a truce and refused to send the troops the CIA and Special forces were begging for only 6-800 troops..so as to cut off his obvious escape route..!

This was the greatest betrayal by any President at a time of war in American History..

Also Rumsfled and Bush left American National Security in the hands of heroin dealers and known mass rapists like Dursten at Tora Bora and then were surprised when they took a pay off during the truce to let bin-Laden escape..!

Even if we needed to use a tactical nuke and blown the top off of the entire mountain to kill every one of the al-Qaeda and Taliban up there in the remote mountain fortress, then so be it we could have shown the world you don''t come to the United States and slaughter thousands and get away with it..

Bush our incompetent dishonest suspect Commander in Chief showed bin-Laden and all of Islam the exact opposite..

Why Congress does not completely investigate this betrayal at Tora Bora and consider Impeachment simply due to this disgraceful pusillanimous President''s cowardice if not complicity in the face of the enemy is beyond me..

[tjcolatrella]

Who cares what this murderer has to say, really unless it is a tip off to another potential attack upon us or another nation..?

Bush and Cheney betrayed every victim of 9/11 some of them my friends at Tora Bora when they gave bin-Laden a truce and refused to send the troops the CIA and Special forces were begging for only 6-800 troops..so as to cut off his obvious escape route..!

This was the greatest betrayal by any President at a time of war in American History..

Also Rumsfled and Bush left American National Security in the hands of heroin dealers and known mass rapists like Dursten at Tora Bora and then were surprised when they took a pay off during the truce to let bin-Laden escape..!

Even if we needed to use a tactical nuke and blown the top off of the entire mountain to kill every one of the al-Qaeda and Taliban up there in the remote mountain fortress, then so be it we could have shown the world you don''t come to the United States and slaughter thousands and get away with it..

Bush our incompetent dishonest suspect Commander in Chief showed bin-Laden and all of Islam the exact opposite..

Why Congress does not completely investigate this betrayal at Tora Bora and consider Impeachment simply due to this disgraceful pusillanimous President''s cowardice if not complicity in the face of the enemy is beyond me..

[tjcolatrella]

Who cares what this murderer has to say, really unless it is a tip off to another potential attack upon us or another nation..?

Bush and Cheney betrayed every victim of 9/11 some of them my friends at Tora Bora when they gave bin-Laden a truce and refused to send the troops the CIA and Special forces were begging for only 6-800 troops..so as to cut off his obvious escape route..!

This was the greatest betrayal by any President at a time of war in American History..

Also Rumsfled and Bush left American National Security in the hands of heroin dealers and known mass rapists like Dursten at Tora Bora and then were surprised when they took a pay off during the truce to let bin-Laden escape..!

Even if we needed to use a tactical nuke and blown the top off of the entire mountain to kill every one of the al-Qaeda and Taliban up there in the remote mountain fortress, then so be it we could have shown the world you don''t come to the United States and slaughter thousands and get away with it..

Bush our incompetent dishonest suspect Commander in Chief showed bin-Laden and all of Islam the exact opposite..

Why Congress does not completely investigate this betrayal at Tora Bora and consider Impeachment simply due to this disgraceful pusillanimous President''s cowardice if not complicity in the face of the enemy is beyond me..

[tjcolatrella]

Who cares what this murderer has to say, really unless it is a tip off to another potential attack upon us or another nation..?

Bush and Cheney betrayed every victim of 9/11 some of them my friends at Tora Bora when they gave bin-Laden a truce and refused to send the troops the CIA and Special forces were begging for only 6-800 troops..so as to cut off his obvious escape route..!

This was the greatest betrayal by any President at a time of war in American History..

Also Rumsfled and Bush left American National Security in the hands of heroin dealers and known mass rapists like Dursten at Tora Bora and then were surprised when they took a pay off during the truce to let bin-Laden escape..!

Even if we needed to use a tactical nuke and blown the top off of the entire mountain to kill every one of the al-Qaeda and Taliban up there in the remote mountain fortress, then so be it we could have shown the world you don''t come to the United States and slaughter thousands and get away with it..

Bush our incompetent dishonest suspect Commander in Chief showed bin-Laden and all of Islam the exact opposite..

Why Congress does not completely investigate this betrayal at Tora Bora and consider Impeachment simply due to this disgraceful pusillanimous President''s cowardice if not complicity in the face of the enemy is beyond me..

[tjcolatrella]

Who cares what this murderer has to say, really unless it is a tip off to another potential attack upon us or another nation..?

Bush and Cheney betrayed every victim of 9/11 some of them my friends at Tora Bora when they gave bin-Laden a truce and refused to send the troops the CIA and Special forces were begging for only 6-800 troops..so as to cut off his obvious escape route..!

This was the greatest betrayal by any President at a time of war in American History..

Also Rumsfled and Bush left American National Security in the hands of heroin dealers and known mass rapists like Dursten at Tora Bora and then were surprised when they took a pay off during the truce to let bin-Laden escape..!

Even if we needed to use a tactical nuke and blown the top off of the entire mountain to kill every one of the al-Qaeda and Taliban up there in the remote mountain fortress, then so be it we could have shown the world you don''t come to the United States and slaughter thousands and get away with it..

Bush our incompetent dishonest suspect Commander in Chief showed bin-Laden and all of Islam the exact opposite..

Why Congress does not completely investigate this betrayal at Tora Bora and consider Impeachment simply due to this disgraceful pusillanimous President''s cowardice if not complicity in the face of the enemy is beyond me..

[bareemperor]

Our country has always been run by the select few who will kill anyone in their way. The rich and powerful will always do things this way, rather than lose anything they have gained. We are just numbers to be manipulated to pay taxes and interest. They killed Kennedy, did 9/11 and will do Iran next. Trotting out bin Laden is just frosting on the NeoCon cake. Google Tim Ossman.

[drummer94]

And shrub told us he doesn''t care whether thispiece of camel dung is alive or dead. Funny, the rest of America always did care if he is dead.

[elgraz]

Why is the media giving this son of satan any coverage at all? Besides I don''t have a VCR which runs these evil tapes. Maybe the bastaaaaaaaaaaaard''s kidney medication will become infected with virulent deadly bacteria? You never know. How do we know that he is still on this earth ? Lastly, don''t believe all the left wing media bullssssshit you hear or read.