Osama bin Laden's unusually brief message of January 24, 2010, titled "Osama to Obama", which was broadcast by Al Jazeera, carries three significant points.
First, it seeks to convey the impression to his followers in the Muslim world that he continues to be in charge of Al Qaeda despite the recent high profile rise of Al Qaeda groups in Yemen and Somalia.
Second, it tries to project that it was he who had inspired the Nigerian student who unsuccessfully attempted to blow up a Detroit-bound plane on Christmas Day. He does not use a collective noun. He says: