“A speaker claiming to be terrorism mastermind Osama bin Laden warned in an audiotape aired Friday [January 21, 2011] that the release of two French journalists abducted by militants hinges on France’s military role in Afghanistan. ‘We repeat the same message to you,’ said the speaker in an audiotape played on the Al-Jazeera satellite news network. ‘The release of your prisoners from the hands of our brethren depends on the withdrawal of your soldiers from our countries.’ ”
– Saad Abedine and Pam Benson, “Bin Laden Message Warns France to Pull Out of Afghanistan,” CNN, Jan. 21, 2011