Chilling video taps emotions.

Byline: SCOTT MABEN The Register-Guard

People around Lane County say they're disgusted but not surprised to hear Osama bin Laden admit responsibility and praise Allah for the "success" of the Sept. 11 strikes.

The release of the videotape should erase any doubts about the terrorist's guilt, several local residents said in a series of interviews Thursday.

Bin Laden's casual conversation with two followers about his optimism for a high death toll in the World Trade Center attacks reveals his cold-blooded nature, said Chuck Max, owner of Firs Bowl on River Road in Eugene.

"He seemed awfully light-hearted about it," Max said. "I think it's important, not just for Americans but for other Islamic people to see what kind of person he really is, that he uses people and glorifies killing innocent people."

If the tape doesn't convince the world that bin Laden is the criminal mastermind behind the attacks, nothing will, he said, adding, "I didn't need this for proof."

Neither did Brian Ford, owner of Blue Moon Jewelry Designs in the Heron Building in downtown Eugene.

"I would have hoped that there was already enough evidence prior to this," Ford said. "If there wasn't enough, I'd be surprised that we went ahead and did what we did in bombing Afghanistan."

Crystal Pierce, a senior at Elmira High School, said bin Laden looked like he just didn't care about the massive loss of life in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania.

"I thought it was disgusting," Pierce said. "I think the way he reacted to the whole deal - we should get rid of him. This gives us more reason to."

Although the quality of the tape is poor, the message from the translation is clear, said Ernie Lyons, who works at the parts retail counter at the Guaranty car dealership in Junction City.

"There's no doubt in my mind" that bin Laden did it, Lyons said.

Now the world needs to see what kind of man bin Laden is, he said. "Sure you go out and show it to them. Absolutely."

Margaret Zygar, owner of Zygar and Associates Insurance in Springfield, said she would have preferred the U.S. government not to release the video.

"It repulses me. The less I see of the maggot, the better I am," Zygar said.

Besides, the tape doesn't tell Americans anything they don't already know about bin Laden, and it's unlikely to change the minds of those around the world who support terrorism, she said.

Those sympathetic to bin Laden and his al-Qaeda network are so distrustful of America that they're not likely to believe that the tape is authentic, said Anita Weiss, professor of international studies at the University of Oregon.

"It will really take some solid documented evidence to convince many people that the tape was not doctored in any way," Weiss said. "I don't think this is going to be the convincing evidence worldwide that Americans anticipate it will be."

The Bush administration announced within weeks after the attacks that it had proof of bin Laden's culpability, but it released no evidence, she noted. Now this incriminating tape pops up as American and Northern Alliance forces zero in on bin Laden's hideout - timing that may do little to allay skepticism of the U.S.-led war on terrorism.

"People will say where's everything else you have, and why aren't you releasing that?" Weiss said. "So many are suspicious about American actions."

Tammam Adi, director of the Islamic Cultural Center of Eugene, said he is ashamed of Muslims demanding "evidence that bin Laden did it."

"I trusted Pakistan when they stated before the bombing of Afghanistan that the U.S. delivered enough evidence to indict him," Adi said. "He praised the attacks on TV and called for more."

Although he hopes the tape convinces everyone that bin Laden was behind the attacks, Adi expects that many Muslims will continue to be "brainwashed by government-run media" to think otherwise until dictators in some Arab countries crumble.

"Those listening to Aljazeera TV or fanatic clerics, here and overseas, will not change their minds," he said.

Adi also said that American foreign policy must become "fairer and more responsible so that Muslims can trust us more." Still, all Muslims have the religious duty to help the prosecutors of terrorism, he said.

Munir Katul, a member of the Eugene Police Commission and a longtime community activist, called the tape "horrible and disgusting" but said he doubts that it will be a smoking gun. Bin Laden's supporters will claim it's fake, while his critics - Katul included - say it only confirms their views of him as a fringe extremist who uses Islam for warped political purposes.

"There are very few people in between," he said. "I don't know who it's going to influence in reality."

While Katul doesn't think it was a mistake to release the tape, he does worry it might provoke a new wave of anger and hatred toward Arabs and Muslims, fuel war hysteria and justify erosion of civil liberties in the name of fighting terrorism.

"I don't want to see this whip up people's hate and anger again, and contribute to isolationism and xenophobia," he said. "So there is a downside to releasing the tape."

CAPTION(S):

Peter O'Toole watches the videotape of terrorist suspect Osama bin Laden at the Video Only store in Eugene. Many local residents say the tape should erase any doubt that bin Laden was behind the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.