Must be Halloween…
By Hands down, beyond dispute, this is the worst Kaus ever.
Halloween really brings them out. . .
Was bin Laden attempting state-by-state blackmail? Safire misses the key aspect of bin Laden’s proposed “truce,” if the astonishing translation of OBL’s video by the right-wing Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) is to be believed. MEMRI claims bin Laden said:
“any U.S. state that does not toy with our security automatically guarantees its own security.” [Emphasis added]
In MEMRI’s interpetation, bin Laden isn’t extorting the U.S. as a nation–he’s extorting every one of the 50 states. He’s been reading up on the Electoral College and he’s trying to neutralize potential swing states the way he neutralized Spain. He’s talkin’ to you, Wisconsin! It will be interesting to see if MEMRI’s stunning translation holds up. … P.S.: I’m a bit skeptical. If bin Laden is trying to get voters in individual states to reject Bush, why did he preface the above passage with “Your security is not in the hands of Kerry or Bush or Al-Qa’ida.” [Ital. added] In MEMRI’s version, bin Laden would in fact be promising security if voters pick Kerry–though perhaps OBL is saying that the blue states get protection even if Kerry loses, and red states will be attacked even if Kerry wins. But, at the least, wouldn’t the wording bin Laden chose be a little too subtle to effectively convey an extortion threat? … P.P.S.: If blue states get rewarded with no terror, that puts New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles (and Washington, D.C.) off limits. Is Al Qaeda really abandoning its Manhattan obsession? … P.P.P.S.: The key phrase is “al Wilaya.” MEMRI explains, in a footnote, “‘Wilaya’ refers specifically to a U.S. state; it would never refer to an independent country. The term for such a country is ‘Dawla.'” I have no idea if that’s accurate or not, but presumably there are many people who do. (Email me!) … WaPo’s translation is “each state,” not “each U.S. state.” … It’s not completely confidence-inspiring that MEMRI at one point translates the phrase as “each U.S. state” and then later uses “any U.S. state.” … Update: Here’s a post that supports MEMRI’s translation. I think. … 10:50 P.M.
But if the next major terrorist attack hits Topeka, Kansas, I’ll be more than willing to concede the point.