There are some odd things about the following AP report that I would like to point out.

Powell: Iraq Crisis Rift Threatens NATO By BARRY SCHWEID, AP Diplomatic Writer ... He told the committee that what appeared to be a new statement from al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden (news - web sites) shows why the world needs to be wary of Iraqi ties to terrorists. Powell said he read a transcript of "what bin Laden — or who we believe to be bin Laden" was saying on the al-Jazeera Arab satellite station Tuesday. "Once again he speaks to the people of Iraq and talks about their struggle and how he is in partnership with Iraq," Powell said. Al-Jazeera chief editor Ibrahim Hilal told The Associated Press Tuesday night, hours after Powell read the transcript at the hearing, that al-Jazeera had just received an audio tape with bin Laden's voice.

Ummm. Did I just read that right? Powell says that he read a transcript of something that was broadcast on al-Jazeera. But the editor of Al-Jazeera says that they only just received the audio tape after Powell talks about reading a transcript of it? Is this just bad writing, or did Powell have access to the tape even before Al-Jazeera broadcast it? And if so...how?

As broadcast, the voice purporting to be bin Laden's urged Iraqis to confront any U.S.-led invasion with camouflaged trenches and suicide bombings. "We stress the importance of martyrdom operations against the enemy, these attacks that have scared Americans and Israelis like never before," the speaker said. "With all the might of the enemy, they were unable to defeat us" in Afghanistan (news - web sites), the speaker said. "We hope that our brothers in Iraq will do the same as we did." Al-Qaida and Iraq, the speaker indicated, are bound by a common hatred of the United States. In his testimony, Powell told the committee, "This nexus between terrorists and states that are developing weapons of mass destruction can no longer be looked away from and ignored."

This proves that Powell is either lying or he doesn't understand a fundamental aspect of the Islamic faith: the Ummah. The Ummah is the brotherhood of all Muslims. It is the Islamic equivalent of the old clan system that dominated pre-Islamic Arabia. One central aspect of the Ummah is that, While any one Muslim may hate another Muslim, they would still support each other if either of them were attacked by someone outside of the Ummah. So of COURSE bin Laden is going to call on other Muslims to defend Iraq. It would matter if he personally hates Sadaam Hussein and would be more then happy to see him removed from power. Such would be acceptable to him ONLY if it was done by other Muslims.