OK, so bin Laden is our prime suspect in this attack, yet, as I’m sure you’ve heard, he’s adamantly denying any responsibility (not that I’m buying that). I was just wondering, did he claim responsibility for the previous WTC bombing, or the bombings of the US embassies in Africa a few years ago (in both of which he and his group are also the prime suspects)?
I don’t remember ever hearing any quotes from him on these or any other terrorist attacks, though I may have simply missed them. I’m mainly simply curious over what his trend has been; does he tend to claim responsibility, and this recent attack is an exception to the rule (assuming he’s guilty), or has he simply never acknowledged terrorist involvement?
Long ago, I remember reading that OBL’s “style” is never to claim responsibility for anything he has orchestrated.
I do not entirely understand the reasoning behind this. Generally, terrorists are attempting to force a minority political position upon a far larger and more rational majority. The act of terrorism is usually followed by a statement of political objectives.
Oftentimes in the past, more than one terrorist group would claim responsibility if a particular act of terrorism seemed to fit within their objectives. Perhaps OBL doesn’t feel he needs to claim responsibility because there are so many other assholes out there who will state his intent for him.
As an additional plus, those groups who do claim responsibility become suspects by default, diverting resources from the actual perpetrator.
ABC’s John Miller says that bin Laden usually has a media encounter, or releases a video, a few weeks before an attack. Miller’s implication was that he doesn’t do anything like that after an attack. I don’t find any record of his taking responsibility.
I had heard too that his family wasn’t too happy with his current life. When he inherited his portion of his father will (money and part of the construction group they own), he cashed everything in and started down the path he is on now.
I don’t know if he’s ever claimed responsibility directly, but there’s a recruiting video for his group which brags of their “victory” over the USS Cole.
His group was found guilty in court of involvement in the 1993 WTC bombing. And he has declared war on America at least twice. So admission of guilt may be a tad redundant.