Bin Laden accuses US of Mideast plot
The message urges Muslims to “fight the enemy that sabotages the world”, describing jihad, or holy war, as “a necessity”.
The tape says “foolish” US President George W Bush wants a “Zionist Crusader war”.
Excerpts of the recording were published yesterday by the Saudi-owned Al Hayat newspaper. It is not clear where or when it was made.
If authenticated, it would be the most recent of a series of messages attributed to the fugitive al-Qaida leader blamed for the September 11 terror attacks on the US.
The tape appeared to be the same 53-minute recording of which excerpts were released on Thursday by the British-based Islamic Al-Ansaar news agency.
“It is clear that the preparations to attack Iraq are part of a series of attacks prepared for nations of the region, including Syria, Iran, Egypt and Sudan,” the voice said.
“The aim of the crusaders’ campaign is to prepare the atmosphere for the establishment of the so-called greater Israel state, which includes great parts of Iraq, Egypt, Syria, Jordan and large portions of (Saudi Arabia).”
Al-Ansaar described the tape as poetic, with several verses for the Koran.
Imran Khan, who runs Al-Ansaar, translated the tape and quoted the voice as saying: “In this final year I hurl myself and my steed with my soul at the enemy. Indeed, on my demise I will become a martyr.
“I wish my demise to be in the eagle’s belly,” the voice said in what Al-Ansaar interpreted as bin Laden’s wish to end his life in a final act of terror against the “eagle”, or America.
The voice said it is possible to defeat the US, despite its strong military and huge economy: “It is possible to target the bases and concentrate on the weak points and if 1% of these points were hit, it (America) will stagger and stop ruling the world in an unjust way.”
The tape praised the 1998 attack on US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, and the September 11 attacks in New York and Washington, calling the latter a “beautiful and courageous operation ... destroying America’s idols”.
“Their (Americans’) stupid leader claimed we envy them for their way of life, but the truth that the pharaoh of this age is hiding is that we attack them because of their injustice toward us and the Muslim world, especially Palestine and Iraq,” the voice said.
