(Image Source: Ammon News)

BY TRACY PFEIFFER

In an audio tape sent to Al Jazeera, a man purported to be Osama bin Laden makes threats against the French for their involvement in the war in Afghanistan and the country’s recently-passed law banning burqas in public places.

“It is not right that you participate in occupying our lands and you support the Americans in killing our children and women and you think you can live in peace and security.” (CNN/Al Jazeera)

The tape also connects the September kidnapping of five French nationals and two African colleagues in Niger to these grievances. French officials say the tape is authentic, but not everyone is convinced -- and some are asking whether bin Laden is bluffing.

We’re looking at coverage and analysis from euronews, Bloomberg, CNN, and the BBC.

Euronews focuses on France’s response to the threat, reporting French officials say they intend to remain vigilant against terror attacks - but that the tape does not change anything. 

“There is a date set by NATO in the framework of the new strategy, that’s the beginning of 2011. That’s when we’re going to hand over a series of districts to the Afghans. At that moment, there could be the first troop movements and the first withdrawals of allied forces from Afghanistan.”

Bloomberg reports the terrorist organization that claimed responsibility for kidnapping the French nationals IS connected to bin Laden, but there’s differing reports as to whether there are quote-”operational links” to bin Laden’s al Qaeda.   Bloomberg spoke to a French researcher who says Osama bin Laden is trying to bolster his credibility, but might be overstepping his bounds.

“Bin Laden lacks the logistical ability to launch attacks in the West, so he’s exploiting the Niger hostage situation to menace France and get media exposure... But that doesn’t mean the government isn’t right to be concerned, because any individual could take it upon himself to try an attack.”
 

A report from France 24 focuses more closely on the links between bin Laden’s al Qaeda and the North African branch, called Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, or AQIM.  A terrorism expert says perhaps this tape IS the confirmation of connections between bin Laden and the AQIM.

“The implication of this message is ... that AQIM is building the same ideology and modus operandi as al Qaeda central command... Until recently, AQIM was not interested in global jihad, they had a more local focus. ... The group is gaining in notoriety.”

But is the message from Osama bin Laden himself?  Despite what French officials are saying, some news organizations are implying they aren’t convinced.

An article from CNN, which includes a video from Al Jazeera with translation over the audio tape, refers to the man purporting to be bin Laden as quote-“the speaker.”
And BBC put quotation marks around bin Laden’s name in their headline and also refers to the voice as quote-“the speaker.”

Experts believe bin Laden is currently hiding in the remote, mountainous region northwestern region of Pakistan.  For a full translation of the audio tape, visit the link in our transcripts section.