I'm back from a week in Europe, where I gathered some incredible interviews, information and stories that you will be seeing on CBN News in the coming weeks. In the meantime, it seems that the threat level is continuing to rise on the homefront. A well-respected U.S. intel monitoring group says that "Osama bin Laden's word choice in the latest audio message attributed to him is seen as a "possible indicator" of an upcoming attack by his Al-Qaeda network." Here's more, from AFP:
IntelCenter, a US group that monitors Islamist websites, also said that manner of the release and the content of the message showed it was "credible" that it was a new release from the Saudi extremist.
"The Osama bin Laden audio message released to Al-Jazeera on 24 January 2010 contains specific language used by bin Laden in his statements in advance of attacks," IntelCenter said in a statement.
The group said it considered the language "a possible indicator of an upcoming attack" in the next 12 months.
"This phrase, 'Peace be upon those who follow guidance,' appears at the beginning and end of messages released in advance of attacks that are designed to provide warning to Al-Qaeda's enemies that they need to change their ways or they will be attacked," the group said.
In a statement carried by Al-Jazeera television, bin Laden praised the Nigerian man who allegedly tried to blow up a US airliner approaching Detroit on Christmas Day.
He warned the United States that, "God willing, our attacks against you will continue as long as you maintain your support to Israel."
IntelCenter said the audio statement "appears to be exactly what it purports to be, an audio message from bin Laden."
Bin Laden's targeting of Israel is done purposefully. Al Qaeda sees Jerusalem as the centerpiece of a modern day Islamic caliphate governed by sharia law.