 video message by Osama Bin Laden, 2004 Bin Laden utilises the medium of video chiefly for effectively distributing his messages to the world public. Like politicians, actors or artists, he uses his media appearances in the form of video messages to position himself effectively and strategically within the realm of the media. Viewed as a quasi-artistic production of a media spectacle under the sign of terrorism, the attack on the World Trade Center managed to involve in a virtuoso manner all the available capacities of mass media reporting. On October 29, 2004, just preceding the imminent presidential elections in the US, a video message from Osama bin Laden, in which he addresses the American public, offering explanations on why he attacked the World Trade Center in New York, was broadcast on television. In this video, Bin Laden does not present himself as a Mujahid (holy warrior) in military uniform with a kalashnikoff as symbol by his side, but rather appears in the dress of a Saudi religious teacher, with which he stages himself as a Byzantine icon.  video messages by Osama Bin Laden (Usāma ibn Muhammad ibn Awad ibn Lādin), 2001, 2004 video (colour, sound) 5 min., loop 5:40 min., loop http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=ADhfC6KjcJQ (15. 10. 2008)
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