ABSTRACT
January 19, 2006 marked an end to a thirteen-month hiatus since the last tape of Usama Bin Laden was publicly broadcast on Al-Jazeera. It is important to examine this last tape not only in the context of Bin Laden’s previous statements but also from the backdrop of the statements made by his more vocal deputy and strategist, Ayman Al-Zawahiri, and his on-the-ground commander in Iraq, Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi. This will unlock potential clues and theories as to why Bin Laden’s tape aired last January and what he is attempting to accomplish with this latest public statement both on the ideological front and in terms of messages to Al-Qaeda supporters and leaders worldwide. This essay will postulate several theories as to why the tape was released and what it means in the context of the global Islamist radicalist agenda.
