Editorial: Videotaped messages backfire on terrorists

Thursday, Oct. 11, 2001 | 8:47 a.m.

The White House has asked U.S. television networks to be careful before they broadcast videotaped messages by Osama bin Laden and his associates, a request that major television new organizations said they would follow. President Bush's spokesman, Ari Fleischer, said Wednesday that the pre-recorded statements that have been broadcast in the past few days may have contained secret communications to other terrorists, including orders to initiate more attacks. But the White House did acknowledge that it had no "hard indications" that a secret message was contained in the videotapes. So if the U.S. government isn't sure, then how are the media supposed to know?

In any event, the reality is that the propaganda by bin Laden and his associates have boomeranged on them. Viewing these messages stiffened the resolve of Americans. The videotapes, both at home and abroad, clearly demonstrate that bin Laden's terror has nothing to do with religion, but rather is a campaign based solely on evil. Broadcasting bin Laden's views has offered a chilling insight into his character, which is a public service.