I don’t know how much time would have to go by before this became obvious, but following the anniversary of 9/11 it’s not only a good time to remember the fallen and our losses of that day, but to continue to try to understand why it was that we were attacked. It’s hard to defeat your enemy unless you know them and have a grip on what motivates them. While it draws not only argument, but outrage, from many of my Republican friends, I’ve been saying for years now that one of the chief reasons was pretty obvious. Now, in his latest greatest hits tape from a cave somewhere in Afghanistan, Osama bin Laden may have brought the point home once more.

US support for Israel led to 9/11: Bin Laden message

WASHINGTON — Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden told Americans in a new message that their support for Israel had prompted him to launch the September 11, 2001 attacks, a US-based terror monitoring group said.

Al-Qaeda’s As-Sahab media released a video titled “Message to the American People,” which features a still image of bin Laden and an audio statement, said IntelCenter.

The release came two days after the United States marked the eighth anniversary of the Al-Qaeda-sponsored attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people.

I quantify that with “may have” because who really knows if this is actually bin Laden or if the guy is even alive. He apparently doesn’t “do” video anymore. But the message is still relevant. OBL himself might not have had that particular gripe on the top of his list, since he was long an opponent of any American presence in Saudi Arabia, along with God only knows how many other complaints he had. But when it comes to getting responses to your terrorist Help Wanted ad in the Muslim world, there’s little better than reminding people of America’s continual presence as Israel’s big brother on the playground.