Osama bin Laden has recorded his first taped message to the United States in over a year. The recording quashes rumors that the world’s most wanted man had died. The US Government says it does not plan to raise its security threat levels because of the new tape, on which bin Laden says al-Qaeda is planning imminent attacks on Western targets. Counter-terrorism agents said they have seen no specific or credible intelligence or “chatter” from the Internet or mobile phones to indicate an attack on the United States is coming. The tape also contained a veiled offer of a long-term negotiated truce with America, which the White House firmly rejected. Vice President Dick Cheney said: “We don't negotiate with terrorists. I think you have to destroy them.”

The audiotape was released by the Qatari television network Al-Jazeera. The fact that it was just bin Laden’s voice and not video has fuelled speculation that the fugitive is seriously ill and cannot allow telltale signs from video footage to confirm this. CIA analysts have verified the recording as bin Laden’s voice. The tape comes just days after a US missile attack killed four senior al-Qaeda operatives in Pakistan. Security officials are surmising Bin Laden’s call for a truce is in response to these killings coupled with the dilution in worldwide support for al-Qaeda. Bin Laden said: “We do not mind offering you a truce that is fair and long-term…so we can build Iraq and Afghanistan…there is no shame in this solution because it prevents wasting billions of dollars.”

WARM-UPS

1. WAR ON TERROR: In pairs / groups, talk about the war on terror. Recall your earliest recollections of it. Talk about the rights and wrongs of it. Where do you think it will go from here? What have the biggest headlines been? Where were you and what were you doing when these headlines were made?

2. MY COUNTRY: Talk with your partner(s) about your country and its position on the war on terror. Do you agree with your government’s policy on Iraq and Afghanistan? What do you want your government to do in the future?

3. CHAT: In pairs / groups, decide which of these topics or words are most interesting and which are most boring.

Recorded messages / rumors / most wanted men / security threats / Western targets / chatter / truces / negotiating / fugitives / missile attacks / Afghanistan

Have a chat about the topics you liked. For more conversation, change topics and partners frequently.

4. BIN LADEN HEADLINES: Talk about the following future “headlines” with your partner(s). Do you think they could come true? Would you like them to come true? How would the world change were these headlines to come true?

1. Osama bin Laden turns himself over to US Army.
2. Bush and bin Laden awarded Nobel Peace Prize.
3. George W. Bush invites Osama bin Laden to his ranch for truce talks.
4. Osama bin Laden dies.
5. Pakistan captures bin Laden.
6. Bin Laden to stand trial at the International Criminal Court.
7. Bin Laden becomes new Afghan president.
8. George W. Bush declares war on terror over.

5. FUGITIVE: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word “fugitive”. Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.

6. SENTENCE STARTERS: In pairs / groups, agree on endings to the following sentence starters. Change partners and talk about your sentences.

1. Osama bin Laden is ________________________________________________.
2. Osama bin Laden should ____________________________________________.
3. Osama bin Laden promotes __________________________________________.
4. Osama bin Laden did _______________________________________________.
5. Osama bin Laden must _____________________________________________.
6. Osama bin Laden can’t _____________________________________________.

BEFORE READING / LISTENING

1. TRUE / FALSE: Look at the article’s headline and guess whether these sentences are true (T) or false (F):

a.	Osama bin Laden has visited the White House for talks with Mr. Bush.	T / F
b.	Washington is raising security level threats over a bin Laden message.	T / F
c.	The CIA says it has “chatter” evidence of imminent terrorist attacks.	T / F
d.	Dick Cheney said America doesn’t negotiate with terrorists.	T / F
e.	Bin Laden looked as fit as a fiddle in a video message sent to the US.	T / F
f.	Analysts doubt the authenticity of the voice on the bin Laden tape.	T / F
g.	There is a dilution in worldwide support for al-Qaeda.	T / F
h.	Bin Laden said calling a truce would save wasting billions of dollars.	T / F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article:

a.	quashes	deducing
b.	imminent	disguised
c.	credible	giveaway
d.	veiled	outlaw
e.	truce	stoked
f.	fuelled	knocks on the head
g.	fugitive	weakening
h.	telltale	armistice
i.	surmising	impending
j.	dilution	plausible

3. PHRASE MATCH: Match the following phrases from the article (sometimes more than one combination is possible):

a.	quashes rumors that the world’s	or “chatter” from the Internet
b.	al-Qaeda is planning	signs from video footage
c.	no specific or credible intelligence	long-term negotiated truce
d.	a veiled offer of a	worldwide support for al-Qaeda
e.	We don't negotiate	imminent attacks
f.	fuelled	call for a truce is in response to …
g.	telltale	in this solution
h.	officials are surmising Bin Laden’s	most wanted man had died
i.	coupled with the dilution in	speculation
j.	…there is no shame	with terrorists

WHILE READING / LISTENING

GAP FILL: Put the words in the column on the right into the gaps in the text.

Osama bin Laden calls for a truce

Osama bin Laden has recorded his first taped message to the United States in over a year. The recording ________ rumors that the world’s most wanted man had died. The US Government says it does not plan to raise its security threat levels because of the new tape, on which bin Laden says al-Qaeda is planning ________ attacks on Western targets. ________ -terrorism agents said they have seen no specific or credible intelligence or “________” from the Internet or mobile phones to ________ an attack on the United States is coming. The tape also contained a ________ offer of a long-term negotiated truce with America, which the White House ________ rejected. Vice President Dick Cheney said: “We don't negotiate with terrorists. I think you have to ________ them.”		imminent destroy quashes chatter veiled indicate counter firmly
The audiotape was released by the Qatari television network Al-Jazeera. The fact that it was ________ bin Laden’s voice and not video has ________ speculation that the fugitive is seriously ill and cannot allow ________ signs from video footage to confirm this. CIA analysts have ________ the recording as bin Laden’s voice. The tape comes just days after a US missile attack killed four senior al-Qaeda ________ in Pakistan. Security officials are surmising Bin Laden’s call for a truce is in response to these killings ________ with the ________ in worldwide support for al-Qaeda. Bin Laden said: “We do not mind offering you a truce that is fair and long-term…so we can build Iraq and Afghanistan…there is no ________ in this solution because it prevents wasting billions of dollars.”		operatives telltale dilution verified just coupled shame fuelled

LISTENING

Listen and fill in the spaces.

Osama bin Laden calls for a truce

Osama bin Laden has recorded his first taped message to the United States in over a year. The recording _________ rumors that the world’s most wanted man had died. The US Government says it does not plan to _________ its security threat levels because of the new tape, on which bin Laden says al-Qaeda is planning _________ attacks on Western targets. Counter-terrorism agents said they have seen no specific or credible intelligence or “_________” from the Internet or mobile phones to indicate an attack on the United States is coming. The tape also contained a _________ offer of a long-term negotiated truce with America, which the White House _________ rejected. Vice President Dick Cheney said: “We don't negotiate with terrorists. I think you have to _________ them.”

The audiotape was released by the Qatari television network Al-Jazeera. The fact that it was just bin Laden’s voice and not video has _________ speculation that the fugitive is seriously ill and cannot allow _________ signs from video _________ to confirm this. CIA analysts have verified the recording as bin Laden’s voice. The tape comes just days after a US missile attack killed four senior al-Qaeda _________ in Pakistan. Security officials are surmising Bin Laden’s call for a truce is in response to these killings _________ with the _________ in worldwide support for al-Qaeda. Bin Laden said: “We do not mind offering you a truce that is fair and long-term…so we can build Iraq and Afghanistan…there is no _________ in this solution because it prevents wasting billions of dollars.”

AFTER READING / LISTENING

1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionaries / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words ‘tell’ and ‘tale’.

• Share your findings with your partners.
• Make questions using the words you found.
• Ask your partner / group your questions.

2. ARTICLE QUESTIONS: Look back at the article and write down some questions you would like to ask the class about the text.

• Share your questions with other classmates / groups.
• Ask your partner / group your questions.

3. GAP FILL: In pairs / groups, compare your answers to this exercise. Check your answers. Talk about the words from the activity. Were they new, interesting, worth learning…?

4. VOCABULARY: Circle any words you do not understand. In groups, pool unknown words and use dictionaries to find their meanings.

5. STUDENT “OSAMA BIN LADEN” SURVEY: In pairs / groups, write down questions about Osama bin Laden and the war on terror.

• Ask other classmates your questions and note down their answers.
• Go back to your original partner / group and compare your findings.
• Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

6. TEST EACH OTHER: Look at the words below. With your partner, try to recall exactly how these were used in the text:

rumors raise targets credible veiled firmly

just telltale verified coupled fair solution

DISCUSSION

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

1. Did the headline make you want to read the article?
2. What adjectives describe your feelings towards Osama bin Laden?
3. What do you think he has been doing this past year?
4. Do you think he will ever be caught?
5. Where do you think he should be tried if he is caught?
6. What do you think of his offer of a truce?
7. What would you say to Osama bin Laden if you met him?
8. Do you think the US is right to flatly reject bin Laden’s offer of a truce?
9. How much support or power do you think bin Laden has around the world?
10. How do you think bin Laden would like to rebuild Iraq and Afghanistan?

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

1. Did you like reading this article?
2. What do you think about what you read?
3. Do you think bin Laden is planning more attacks on Western targets?
4. Do you think the war on terror is being won?
5. Why do you think Osama bin Laden waited a year before sending a message to the US?
6. Do you think you can and should negotiate with terrorists?
7. If bin Laden is serious about a truce, should the US negotiate with him?
8. Do you think worldwide support for al-Qaeda is decreasing?
9. Do you think bin Laden’s call to stop wasting billions of dollars is a message to the American people?
10. Did you like this discussion?

AFTER DISCUSSION: Join another partner / group and tell them what you talked about.

1. What was the most interesting thing you heard?
2. Was there a question you didn’t like?
3. Was there something you totally disagreed with?
4. What did you like talking about?
5. Which was the most difficult question?

SPEAKING

THOUGHTS: Your job is to guess what Osama bin Laden is thinking. You have to submit a report to the chief intelligence officer of your country. In pairs / groups, agree on what you think Osama’s thoughts are about the things in the left hand column. Write down any possible evidence for these thoughts in the right hand column.

	THOUGHTS	POSSIBLE EVIDENCE
George W. Bush
Iraq
The war on terror
Pervez Musharraf
Islam

Change partners and talk about your thoughts and evidence. Give each other feedback.

Return to your original partners and discuss the feedback you received from your earlier partners.

HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find more information on Osama bin Laden. Share your findings with your class in the next lesson. Did you all find out similar things?

3. SOLUTION: Write an essay outlining what you think the solution is to the war on terror. Read your essay to your partner(s) in your next class. Did you all write about similar things?

4. A DAY IN THE LIFE: You are Osama bin Laden. Write an account of one day in your life. What are your thoughts on what is happening in the world today? Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Did everyone have similar days and thoughts?

ANSWERS

TRUE / FALSE:

a. F

b. F

c. F

d. T

e. F

f. F

g. T

h. T

SYNONYM MATCH:

a.	quashes	knocks on the head
b.	imminent	impending
c.	credible	plausible
d.	veiled	disguised
e.	truce	armistice
f.	fuelled	stoked
g.	fugitive	outlaw
h.	telltale	giveaway
i.	surmising	deducing
j.	dilution	weakening

PHRASE MATCH:

a.	quashes rumors that the world’s	most wanted man had died
b.	al-Qaeda is planning	imminent attacks
c.	no specific or credible intelligence	or “chatter” from the Internet
d.	a veiled offer of a	long-term negotiated truce
e.	We don't negotiate	with terrorists
f.	fuelled	speculation
g.	telltale	signs from video footage
h.	officials are surmising Bin Laden’s	call for a truce is in response to …
i.	coupled with the dilution in	worldwide support for al-Qaeda
j.	…there is no shame	in this solution

GAP FILL:

Osama bin Laden calls for a truce

Osama bin Laden has recorded his first taped message to the United States in over a year. The recording quashes rumors that the world’s most wanted man had died. The US Government says it does not plan to raise its security threat levels because of the new tape, on which bin Laden says al-Qaeda is planning imminent attacks on Western targets. Counter-terrorism agents said they have seen no specific or credible intelligence or “chatter” from the Internet or mobile phones to indicate an attack on the United States is coming. The tape also contained a veiled offer of a long-term negotiated truce with America, which the White House firmly rejected. Vice President Dick Cheney said: “We don't negotiate with terrorists. I think you have to destroy them.”

The audiotape was released by the Qatari television network Al-Jazeera. The fact that it was just bin Laden’s voice and not video has fuelled speculation that the fugitive is seriously ill and cannot allow telltale signs from video footage to confirm this. CIA analysts have verified the recording as bin Laden’s voice. The tape comes just days after a US missile attack killed four senior al-Qaeda operatives in Pakistan. Security officials are surmising Bin Laden’s call for a truce is in response to these killings coupled with the dilution in worldwide support for al-Qaeda. Bin Laden said: “We do not mind offering you a truce that is fair and long-term…so we can build Iraq and Afghanistan…there is no shame in this solution because it prevents wasting billions of dollars.”

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