Bin Laden Versus Europe and the Pope...and Me

Osama Bin Laden's latest audio message was released yesterday, and strangely it didn't mention the 5th anniversary of the Iraq War. In fact, it pretty much left the U.S. alone:

CAIRO, Egypt (AP) - Osama bin Laden, in a new audio message posted Wednesday, condemned the publication of drawings that he said insulted the Prophet Muhammad and warned Europeans of a "severe" reaction to come.

The message, which appeared on a militant Web site that has carried al-Qaida statements in the past and bore the logo of the extremist group's media wing al-Sahab, showed a still image of bin Laden aiming with an assault rifle.

"The response will be what you see and not what you hear and let our mothers bereave us if we do not make victorious our messenger of God," said a voice believed to be bin Laden's, without specifying what action would be taken.

The five-minute message, bin Laden's first this year, made no mention of the fifth anniversary Wednesday of the U.S.-led invasion in Iraq.

It came as the Muslim world marks the Prophet Muhammad's birthday Thursday and amid the reigniting of a two-year-old controversy over some Danish cartoons deemed by Muslims to be insulting. Islamic law generally opposes any depiction of the prophet, even favorable, for fear it could lead to idolatry.

Bin Laden described the drawings as taking place in the framework of a "new Crusade" against Islam, in which he said the pope has played a "large and lengthy role."

The timing of this could be better. Normally a threat against Europe wouldn't mean that much to me, but as I write this my daughter is flying to Munich, Germany, and then on to Ancona, Italy for a 10 day music tour. She'll be marching in a Good Friday procession in Monte Urano, and will be visiting the major tourist attractions of Venice, Florence and Rome before the trip's done.

If bin Laden wants to take a shot at Europe and the Pope, let's hope he waits until after March 29th.