Bin Laden's Been Gettin' Busy

Osama Bin Laden's latest recording was released early this week on cassette tape, eschewing digital trends sweeping through the recording industry. Jihadists around the world have been anticipating this release for months, but was it worth the wait?

Since 2002 Bin Laden has been know more for spelunking than funky beats, wicked rhymes, or Jihadism. Questions about his relevance have grown among once loyal followers, and tabloid covers have America asking if Brittney is the new face of terrorism. Now with a new tape out, and a whole new spin on life, supPublish Postporters say Bin Laden is back, and back with a 'tude.

On his new tape, Bin Laden shifts his focus from America, and calls out the Pope and European cartoonists. Unofortunately, most of the tape feels dated as it devolves into a he said/she said rant about the pope, but it could just as easily be about Bush or sand fleas. After hearing only a few minutes of his diatribe, one can only think-- this is so 2003. Other targets for Bin Laden's wrath are those who would reproduce images of the prophet, including cartoonists, ice sculptors, confectionists, and action figure manufacturer McFarlane Toys. Ironically, the one highlight of the recording is a surprise holla to Far Side cartoonist Gary Larson, whom Bin Laden calls a "kindred spirit." While calling for the deaths of pedestrians and fruit sellers, Bin Laden officially names "the chicken of despair" as the Al Qaida mascot.

Despite all the hype leading up to this most recent Osama release, one can't help wonder if Jihadists will be left a little disappointed. The venom and menace once focused so heavily on America, seems lame and cruel when targeted on dutch cartoonists and a geriatric kraut. With Bush soon leaving office, and an imminent foreign policy shift in America, Bin Laden might think he has won the war on terror. But at what cost? Maybe he proves the old Saudi adage: It's better to blow up than to fade away.