Has anyone seen any talking heads who've discussed why bin Laden was nowhere to be seen on the last video?

FOX

Networks Kill Bin Laden Videos

Wednesday, October 10, 2001

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WASHINGTON — The White House is warning that suspected terrorist Usama bin Laden may be using America's own airwaves as a weapon in his war on the country.

National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice called a group of network executives Wednesday to express the government's concerns about airing prerecorded messages from bin Laden's Al Qaeda terror cell. The videos could contain messages signaling terrorists to attack, she told the executives.

Secretary of State Colin Powell also cautioned on Wednesday that statements made by bin Laden's terrorist organization and broadcast on televisions around the world may contain "some kind of message."

White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer said the airwaves may be the only way for bin Laden to reach his followers.

"The means of communications out of Afghanistan right now are rather limited. One way to communicate outside Afghanistan to followers is through Western media," Fleischer said.

Fleischer said that at best, bin Laden's messages are propaganda. At worst, they are direct orders to his followers to initiate attacks.

Powell said intelligence employees are analyzing statements, including one made Tuesday by Al Qaeda spokesman Abu Ghaith praising the Sept. 11 terror attacks on the United States and warning that there would be more.

Intelligence employees also are analyzing bin Laden's last message, which aired in the United States Sunday after appearing on Qatar's Al Jazeera news network. No actual message has been deciphered but suspicions exist, Fleischer added.

Fox News will no longer air "video news releases" received from foreign networks, especially since their origin, date, place and circumstances are indeterminate, said Brit Hume, Fox News' Washington Managing Editor.

"These are plainly propaganda messages being distributed for as much circulation as possible by a terrorist organization. We will no longer act as a transmission belt for propaganda of the Al Qaeda organization," Hume said, adding that Fox will continue to report on the messages "with great care" but not extract video from them to air.

A CNN spokesman said that network also will not air live statements from the Al Qaeda organization and will review the messages on a case-by-case basis before any are broadcast.

"CNN policy is to avoid reporting any material that we believe would directly facilitate terrorist acts," Matthew Furman said.

Sen. John Edwards, R-N.C., a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said that the president's request of the networks was of a similar vein to his demand that Congress stop leaking intelligence information.

"Our nation is at war. All of us have to act responsibly," Edwards said.

Fleischer said he doesn't know if bin Laden has a track record for using the media to send messages, but that Rice's request was aimed at reducing his communication through "prerecorded, pretaped messages that are played in their entirety."

-- Anonymous, October 10, 2001

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Idiots! Bush has to tell them this?

354 pm edt

-- Anonymous, October 10, 2001