In a posthumously released tape, Osama bin Laden praised the revolutionary fervor spreading across the Middle East. Referring to it as the “Arab Spring,” bin Laden said “I think that the winds of change will blow over the entire Muslim world, God willing.” The twelve-minute video message — which features an old photo of bin Laden sporting a dyed-black beard — includes an audio track in which bin Laden criticizes Middle Eastern leaders for falling prey to egotism, and calling on citizens to “let the truth out.” As translated by Al Jazeera, bin Laden praised Tunisia’s citizens for starting the movement. “The light of the revolution came from Tunisia. It has given the nation tranquility and made the faces of the people happy … Tunisia was the first but swiftly the knights of Egypt have taken a spark from the free people of Tunisia to Tahrir Square. This wasn’t a revolution of starving and pain, but a revolution of giving and peace.” This is only the first of possibly many new recordings found at bin Laden’s Abbottabad compound.
Osama bin Laden praises Arab spring in posthumously released tape [Guardian UK]
