Bin Laden in 2004 had an already graying beard.  In the "photo" of Bin Laden in 2007, "he" had a black beard.  

I was deployed to Saudi Arabia in 1990.  I was stationed in Turkey in 1991-1993.  I was deployed to Iraq in 1991.  I returned from Iraq in Nov 2006.  I have spent plenty of time in the Middle East.

Middle Eastern men don't dye their beards as the gray is seen as a sign of age, which in turn, gives them automatic status and respect in their culture as an elder.

Many American contractors who were old enough to be gray (or have grayed prematurely), grew out a beard while in Iraq to get a measure of status and respect from the Iraqi's we worked with... and we are supposed to believe that the head of a notorious international terrorist organization dyed his beard black at his age and with his fundamental Islamic beliefs?  Sorry.

you may well be right michael. that said, who really cares, except his nutcase followers? let's face it, with a pc, and the right application, i can be anyone i choose to be, on film. a hundred years from now, ol' osama will put out the 106th annniversary edition, and most people won't care then either.

So, Osama Walks into This Bar, See? and Bush says, "Whad'l'ya have, pardner?" and Osama says, "Well, George, what are you serving today?" and Bush says, "Fear," and Osama shouts, "Fear for everybody!" and George pours it on for the crowd. Then the presidential bartender says, "Hey, who's buying?" and Osama points a thumb at the crowd sucking down their brew. "They are," he says. And the two of them share a quiet laugh.

I hear he also babysits the Bush grandchildren along with his own on occasion, when his wives go out to shop at the local Handy Andy. He likes to dress up his grandsons in Al Qaeda garb with little plastic RPG's to play slaughter the infidels up against Bush's grandsons in replica US Marine outfits complete with body armor. Barbara continually chastises him for this effrontery but the kids love it, and bin Laden believes it's the best way to prepare our youth for their future.

Supposedly he's developed an affinity for Pearl beer raiding George's secrets stash regularly, just don't tell his Islamic fundamentalist friends, the fermentation of grain is a no-no under current Koranic interpretation.  Though sources tell us this may change when the "Lion Sheik" takes his rightful place as leader of the Islamic world.

Sources also tell us that bin Laden has been quietly planning run for the White House on the Republican ticket in 2008, and was just waiting for Fred Thompson to announce his candidacy, so he could steal Thompson's thunder with a surprise announcement.

Current GOP polling indicates that he has the best chance of defeating Giuliani in the primary. The folks down in Texas, where he has become something of a local celebrity, already love him, he is an oilman at heart after all.

The ruling on dying hair differs for men and women. For men, it is forbidden except for two occassions, which are:

1. One's hair has turned grey at a young age in which case it is permissible to dye it to its original colour, i.e, black.

2. One's hair has turned grey due to old age in which case it is permissible to dye it other than the colour black.

3. When one is in war in which case it is permissible to dye one's hair black to deceive the enemy.

"The first is from our side, and it is to continue to escalate the killing and fighting against you," bin Laden says. The second is to eliminate the American democratic system of government.

"It has now become clear to you and the entire world the impotence of the democratic system and how it plays with the interests of the peoples and their blood by sacrificing soldiers and populations to achieve the interests of the major corporations," he says.

[...]

Soon after word emerged that the United States had the video, Islamic militant Web sites that usually carry statements from al-Qaida went down and were inaccessible. The reason for the shutdown was not immediately known.

Evan H. Kohlmann, a terrorism expert at globalterroralert.com, said he suspected it was the work of al-Qaida itself, trying to find how the video leaked to U.S. officials.

"For them this is totally disruptive that the U.S. government could have a copy before their targeted audience does," he said. "They could be concerned and trying to plug the leak quickly."

[...]

One difference in bin Laden's appearance was immediately obvious. The announcement had a still photo from the coming video, showing bin Laden addressing the camera, his beard fully black. In his past videos, bin Laden's beard was almost entirely gray with dark streaks.

Bin Laden mentions Michael Scheuer's book, and touches upon the true motivations for the 9/11 attacks.  Scheuer mentioned the withholding of this video on Rick Sanchez's show on CNN.

"This war is about the impact of our policies in the Middle East" (Michael Scheuer).

I want to see this video, don't you?

Bin Laden Video Is Recent, Doesn't Threaten Attack

Bin Laden video may signal new attacks

Bin Laden video may signal new attacks

Al Jazeera and Fox news are the only news providers which mentions a shutdown of sites caring the full video. I could find no mention of this in any of the other major US or European media providers.

US warned in 'Bin Laden video'

["Soon after Washington announced it had the video, all the websites that usually carry statements from al-Qaeda went down and were inaccessible, in an unprecedented shutdown, according to the Associated Press news agency." ]

U.S. Officials Analyzing Usama Bin Laden Video (militant websites mysteriously shutdown)

["The U.S. government obtained a new video of Usama bin Laden before Al Qaeda could release it to the world to mark the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. Officials on Friday were analyzing the tape, which could contain the first new images of the Al Qaeda leader in three years.

Soon after Washington announced it had the video, all the Islamic militant Web sites that usually carry statements from Al Qaeda went down and were unaccessible, in an unprecedented shutdown.
The reason for the shutdown was not immediately known. Evan H. Kohlmann, a terrorism expert at globalterroralert.com, said he suspected it was the work of Al Qaeda itself, trying to find how the video leaked to U.S. officials.
"For them this is totally disruptive that U.S. government could have a copy before their targeted audience does," he said. "They could be concerned and trying to plug the leak quickly."
Another possibility is that the U.S. government shut down the sites, but that was unlikely, he said.

"I don't think they would have the legal or technical capability to do so, to collectively shut all these sites at the same time. Also, I don't think the U.S. government is necessarily interested in shutting these sites down, unless there is something so provocative and dangerous in what bin Laden is saying."]

"It is true that this young man was little in years, but the faith in his heart was big,"

-Osama bin Laden

"His body is little but his bravery is big..."