They were overjoyed when the first plane hit the building. So I said to them: Be patient.

The words are from a videotape released Thursday reportedly showing Osama bin Laden casually talking about the worst terrorist attack in American history. At times he seemed pleased at his deadly handiwork.

Bin Laden’s words evoke an incredible wash of emotions – from anger to disgust, from confusion to disbelief.

Americans have believed from the beginning the connections our government leaders have announced which link bin Laden to the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

But more important than the effects bin Laden’s words have on us is the impact the videotape should have on the rest of the world.

On Thursday the world heard a very direct admission of prior knowledge of the attacks directly from bin Laden.

Bin Laden and some of his al-Qaida terrorists have tried in the days since Sept. 11 to fill the world with a smoke screen by claiming the U.S.-led war on terrorism was actually a war on Islam. Anyone who sees the tape should no longer confuse the two.

Of course, the tape won’t convince bin Laden’s followers to change their ways, but hopefully it will sway those people who were not sure which side was correct.

America and its allies aren’t fighting a country or a political faction or even religion.

They are fighting evil.

And, if you want to know what form evil manifests itself, look no further than the videotape.