By Yael T. Abouhalkah, Kansas City Star Editorial Page columnist
Americans can go months without thinking about al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.
But this week he's suddenly in the spotlight, catching the attention of President George Bush and President-elect Barack Obama.
Going forward, Obama will be the one most challenged by bin Laden's continued freedom -- and his continued warnings to the United States and its allies such as Israel.
Recent developments:
-- A new audio message reportedly from bin Laden calls for a "jihad" -- or holy war -- against Israel for its attacks in Gaza.
The message -- the first in eight months from bin Laden -- is not surprising. His group's influence in Gaza is minimal. But his warning will at least help Hamas in its efforts to whip up anger at Israel.
Bin Laden has been in hiding since 9/11, and the United States government has a $25 million reward for information leading to his capture.
-- In an interview with CNN's Larry King, Bush this week said "absolutely" when asked whether bin Laden would ever be caught.
Bush added: "You can't run forever."
The president also said his "most important job... is to protect the American people from another attack" like 9/11.
Bush is right in this respect: Obama will inherit the tough task of making sure the country continues to try to prevent more attacks on our soil.
Capturing bin Laden won't guarantee that. But it would go a long way toward resolving one of the Bush administration's biggest failures -- its inability to bring to justice the person deemed most responsible for 9/11.
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Phlcrl
Y'all COLD, man.
Never saw the attraction, anyway. They ignorant, and yell a lot. Afterward they start demanding you take them for a nose pierce. Pass.
Jihad
What good are 70 virgins if you've already blown your family jewels to hell
Jihadist reward in paradise!
Imagine when the jihadi "martyrs" get to "paradise" and find that it's not 70 eighteen year-old virgins they each get, but 18 seventy year-olds they all have to share, and the "virgin" part ain't exactly true, either! The BEST thing about the "virgins" is that, between them, they do have ONE full set of TEETH!
"Osama Says!"
Hey, let's make up a new game! I tell you to do something (or Iran does, or Hamas, Syria, Al Zawahiri, etc.), and you don't do anything, but if I say "Osama says" do something, then you have to DO it! Yeah, I know Bin Ladin's dead, but just do it anyway, or you'll ruin the game, ok?
Bin Laden fraud
Bin Ladin has been dead for years. It is valuable to the political goals of Al Qaida, Al Zawarhiri (in particular), Iran AND the West (and the press, of course) to maintain the charade that he is alive, so they do.