I Screwed That Up, But in Case You Missed It:

[BroncoBuff]

I shouldda found this link BEFORE I started the POLL about why Osama attacked us. Meck77, defenseman and 9798 made excellent arguments why my "correct" reason wasn't correct.

Maybe there were other factors ... and OBL certainly talked about other things after the fact ... including in 2004 when he released a tape (Meck77's link) that was probably designed to influence the US election.

But this is THE VERY TEXT of Osama bin Laden's ORIGINAL CALL FOR JIHAD AGAINST AMERICA in 1996:

http://www.outpost-of-freedom.com/opf980830a.htm

DECLARATION OF WAR AGAINST THE AMERICANS OCCUPYING
THE LAND OF THE TWO HOLY PLACES

(EXPEL THE INFIDELS FROM THE ARAB PENINSULA)
A MESSAGE FROM USAMA BIN MUHAMMAD BIN LADEN
UNTO HIS MUSLIM BRETHREN ALL OVER THE WORLD GENERALLY

AND IN THE ARAB PENINSULA SPECIFICALLY

Praise be to Allah, we seek His help and ask for his pardon. we take refuge in Allah from our wrongs and bad deeds. Who ever been guided by Allah will not be misled, and who ever has been misled, he will never be guided. I bear witness that there is no God except Allahno associates with Him and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and messenger. O you who believe! be careful of your duty to Allah with the proper care which is due to Him, and do not die unless you are Muslim} (Imraan 3:102), {O people be careful of your duty to your Lord, Who created you from a single being and created its mate of the same kindand spread from these two, many men and women and be careful of your duty to Allah , by whom you demand one of another your rights, and (be careful) to the ties of kinship surely Allah ever watches over you} (AnNisa 4:1), {O you who believe! be careful of your duty to Allah and speak the right word He will put your deeds into a right state for you, and forgive you your faults and who ever obeys Allah and his Apostle, he indeed achieve a mighty success} (AlAhzab 33:7071). Praise be to Allah, reporting the saying of the prophet Shu'aib: {I desire nothing but reform so far as I am able, and with non but Allah is the direction of my affair to the right and successful path on him do I rely and to him do I turn} (Hud 11:88). Praise be to Allah, saying: {You are the best of the nations raised up for the benefit of men you enjoin what is right and forbid the wrong and believe in Allah} (AalImraan 3:110).

Allah's blessing and salutations on His slave and messenger who said: (The people are close to an all encompassing punishment from Allah if they see the oppressor and fail to restrain him).

It should not be hidden from you that the people of Islam had suffered from aggression, iniquity and injustice imposed on them by the ZionistCrusaders alliance and their collaborators to the extent that the Muslims blood became the cheapest and their wealth as loot in the hands of the enemies. Their blood was spilled in Palestine and Iraq. The horrifying pictures of the massacre of Qana, in Lebanon are still fresh in our memory. Massacres in Tajakestan and Burma and Cashmere and Assam, Philippine, Fatani, Ogadin, Somalia, Erithria, Chechnia and in BosniaHerzegovina took place, massacres that send shivers in the body and shake the conscience. All of this and the world watch and hear, and not only didn't respond to these atrocities, but also with a clear conspiracy between the USA and its' allies and under the cover of the iniquitous United Nations, the dispossessed people were even prevented from obtaining arms to defend themselves.

The people of Islam awakened and realised that they arethe main target for the aggression of the ZionistCrusaders alliance. All false claims and propaganda about "Human Rights" were hammered down and exposed by the massacres that took place against the Muslims in every part of the world. The latest and the greatest of these aggressions,incurred by the Muslims since the death of the Prophet (ALLAH'S BLESSING AND SALUTATIONS ON HIM) is the occupation of the land of the two Holy Places the foundation of the house of Islam, the place of the revelation, the source of the message and the place of the noble Ka'ba, the Qiblah of all Muslims by the armies of the American Crusaders and their allies. (We bemoan this and can only say: " No power and power acquiring except through Allah")

But to our deepest regret the regime refused to listen to the people accusing them of being ridiculous and imbecile. The matter got worse as previous wrong doings were followed by mischief's of greater magnitudes. All of this taking place in the land of the two Holy Places! It is no longer possible to be quiet. It is not acceptable to give a blind eye to this matter.

Ignoring the divine Shari'ah law depriving Islam of their legitimate rights by allowing the American to occupy the land of the two Holy Places imprisonment, unjustly, of the sincere scholars. The honourable Ulamah and scholars as well as merchants, economists and eminent people of the country were all alerted by this disastrous situation.

http://www.outpost-of-freedom.com/opf980830a.htm

This original Declaration of Jihad against America was what the TIME magazine article I read years ago was referring to, and what I relied upon to call answer #3 correct. Thank you for your attention.

The "TWO HOLY PLACES" means Mecca and Medina.