Osama bin-Laden interview, June 1999: entering the mind of an adversary

Military Review, Sept-Oct, 2004 by Youssef H. Aboul-Enein

Ismail: What do you want?

Bin-Laden: What we want and what we are demanding are the rights of every living being. We demand that our land be freed from our enemies, and that our land be freed from Americans. For these living creatures were given by God a protective instinct that refused to be intruded upon. For these, may Allah praise you, are like the chickens. When an armed person enters a chicken's home, it attacks [the assailant], and it is only a chicken.

We demand the rights for every living creature, specifically human rights and in particular the [rights] of Muslims. There were aggressions on the lands of Islam, particularly the holy shrines, the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the first center [qibla] in which Prophet Muhammed, peace be upon him [PBUH], directed his prayers. This aggression continued with the alliance between crusaders and Jews that is led by America and Israel, in which they have taken the land of the two holy mosques [reference to Saudi Arabia], and there is no power except by Allah. We desire to instigate the community [of Muslims] to undertake the liberation of their land and fight for the sake of Allah, most high, so that Islamic law and Allah's are raised high.

Assessment: Bin-Laden's demand for human rights is classic mimicry of the Western view of international human rights. Militants will feign democracy and petition for freedom to seek power, but once in power, impose a religious dictatorship. Bin-Laden makes clear his goals to instigate an Islamic militant revolution against the United States and Israel. Bin-Laden believes the United States and Israel are in collusion to dominate the Islamic world. "There is no power except for Allah," is an old saying that denotes the helplessness of Muslims. Bin-Laden uses his messages of violent jihad as the remedy for this helplessness.

Ismail: [Ismail asks Bin-Laden about recent attacks by British and U.S. forces against Iraq during Operation Desert Fox.]

Bin-Laden: Praise be to Allah, the last attack [1999] that occurred a few days ago in Iraq was directed by America and Britain. This confirms many meanings that are both dangerous and significant. We will not discuss here the material and human losses, the killing of our Muslim brothers from among the Iraqi people but will discuss the proofs [rationale] behind these attacks. America accuses Iraq of using poison gasses on its own people and against the Kurds. America accuses Iraq of using its destructive weapons against Iran. What is significant and what people should stop and take note of is that America did not speak of these things at that juncture, America at that time aided [Iraq], who was subsidized by many agents in the region.

It [Iraq] became the largest Arab [military] power in the region threatening the security of the Jews and Israeli security that has occupied the legacy [Al-Aqsa Mosque] left us by our holy prophet [PBUH]. It was when [this threat to Israel] appeared that it began making an issue of these things [Iraq's weapons capability]. It [America] claims to hold them [Israel] accountable, [America says]: correct, there are advanced weapons and weapons of mass destruction in Israel, but Israel has never used them, but Iraq uses them; this talk is redundant. America also possesses these weapons and has deployed them hitting entire nations in the Far East in Nagasaki and Hiroshima after Japan surrendered and World War II was beginning its conclusion. Despite this, America insisted on striking nations [their] fathers, children, women, and elderly. The truth must be revealed that any attack today against any nation in the Islamic world is in reality an attack [orchestrated] by Israel and that people must awake to this reality.