"(.....)But, in focusing on why were attacked it would be wrong to suggest that it had anything to do with our perceived immorality or freedom."

I disagree with you.  Those statements you refer to are indeed recent and the reason for him not mentioning freedom or morals is because that kind of rhetoric would never fly when you are addressing people in the West.  OBL and Al-Qaeda are indeed in need of friends, especially in the Muslim world and he knows that even Muslims are appalled by the tactics used in the name of Al-Qaeda and this is his way of showing the world that he is a man of reason and a "statesman" if you like. The fact that he doesn't mention freedom and morals in the statements you refer to doesn't necessarily mean that he doesn't hate them.

I don't think that hatred and despise for the western way of life, were Al-Qaeda's only motivations for attacking the World Trade Centres, but they were certainly important factors. If they wanted the US out of the Middle-East why not attack the troops on the ground.  By attacking the symbol of free-trade and economic prosperity they could show the world in general and the Muslims in particular that their culture and religion was potent enough to even strike at the Heart of freedom and economical/technological development.  In many ways it was an attack out of despair and frustration, but still it was devastating enough and the cause of much tragedy.   The first Bali-bombs in 2002 believed to be the responsibility of an Indonesian Al-Qaeda cell, happened one year before the invasion of Iraq and most of the westerners killed in that blast were Australians, a country that became actively involved in the Middle-East in 2003.    

OBL can not be detached from Al-Qaeda and its visions for the world. He is the founder and the "spiritual" leader of that network.  Remember that many of those people that trained in Afghanistan before 2001 are now experienced leaders of local Al-Qaeda cells in different parts of the world.        


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