The Belmont Club’s Wretchard (who’s been delivering great analysis on the missing explosives would be-story, btw) writes:
It is important to notice what he has stopped saying in this speech. He has stopped talking about the restoration of the Global Caliphate. There is no more mention of the return of Andalusia. There is no more anticipation that Islam will sweep the world. He is no longer boasting that Americans run at the slightest wounds; that they are more cowardly than the Russians. He is not talking about future operations to swathe the world in fire but dwelling on past glories. He is basically saying if you leave us alone we will leave you alone. Though it is couched in his customary orbicular phraseology he is basically asking for time out.
But what seems really interesting is OBL’s new speaking style and his sudden interest in DNC talking points. Did he catch Farenheit 911 at Cannes? A commenter apparently familiar with Afghanistan over at Roger Simon’s blog writes (follow the link for the whole thing, it’s all fairly interesting):
Whither comes their tape of Bin Laden? And who is the author? The performer? The wizards in their editing suites? After all, the palaver’s so perfect, the timing of release so perfidious, one must by rights believe that this new, healthier ‘Jazeera Osama’ has been on comfortably on dry ice–with room service and premium blood transfusions–at a Dubai estate for the last three years, not chased through the hostile hot sands of Waziristan, trailed by a half mile caravan of dialysis tubing. Doesn’t this have a foul odor about it? I’m not just talking about a fetid corpse suddenly spring back to health; on that issue, I still remain convinced–along with most all Afghans, Roger L. Simon and Mark Steyn–that the real Osama is playing tonsil hockey with Hitler in Hades these past three years. The real stench, however, comes from the consummate, too convenient sense of timing that–surprise!–completely favors and endorses the Democrats. A tape emerges, late on Friday, the end of a weekly news cycle, just before the networks and daily news writers close down shop for the week. Isn’t this always the ideal moment to dump contaminated information on the public, knowing full well it will just sit there uncontested until election eve?
Tonsil hocky with Hitler. Heh. And finally, on a ligher note, a couple of timely reminders from OBL:
“In addition, the infidel George Bush is outsourcing America’s future with tax cuts to the wealthy. Where are the 1.6 million jobs? The infidel Bush is the first infidel since the infidel Herbert Hoover to lose jobs! Awake from your slumber, America! The infidel John Kerry has a plan. You can do better, Insha’Allah!”
and
“The infidel Mary Cheney is a lesbian.”