Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney says the recent release of a video tape featuring comments from Osama bin Laden shows how "deluded" bin Laden really is.
"His comments as a radical jihadist and the idea of people converting to Islam under the threat of coersion — these kinds of principles are not in line, if you will, rational thought in my view," Romney says.
For the first time in over three years, a videotape from bin Laden was released on the eve of the sixth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. In the message, bin Laden tells Americans to abandon capitalist democracy and embrace Islam.
"I was in some respects thankful that he reminded the people of the world what the face of evil looks like," Romney says. "…There is this global effort of people who wish to bring down all civilization…and categorize people according to their faith."
Romney campaigned in northwest Iowa on Saturday and told a crowd in Cherokee that bin Laden was "deluded." Afterwards, Romney repeated that assertion to a group of reporters.
"I think the whole radical jihadist movement is extraordinarily misguided and evil and is a form of delusion but I believe that the people of the world recognize that," Romney said. "I think when he makes tapes like this, it hurts his effort. It doesn’t help it."
Newly-declared Republican candidate Fred Thompson wrapped up his three-day campaign swing through Iowa on Saturday and headed out to campaign in New Hampshire.