London: A new audio tape, said to be from the fugitive al-Qaida leader Osama bin
Laden, has accused the United States of plotting to carve up Muslim countries in the
Middle East to benefit Israel and create a "greater Israel".
"A US-led war on Iraq will only be a stage in a series of planned attacks targeting
other countries, including Syria, Iran, Egypt and Sudan," the message said, adding
the "greater Israel" envisaged will include "large parts of Iraq and Egypt along
with Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and the whole of Palestine and parts of the holy Mosques
(Saudi Arabia)."
The message urged Muslims to "fight the enemy that sabotages the world",
describing 'jihad', as a "necessity".
According to BBC, excerpts of the 53-minute recording were published on February 16
by the Saudi-owned 'al Hayat' newspaper. It was not clear where or when the
recording was made.
If authenticated, it would be the most recent of a series of anti-US messages
attributed to the terror mastermind blamed for the September 11, 2001 terror attacks
on USA.
The message denounced US President George Bush and UK Prime Minister Tony Blair
as "crusaders trying to destroy the Islamic nation".
The message seemed to be the same as that released by a UK-based Islamic
website, 'Waaqiah', on February 14.
Bin Laden urged Muslims "to be convinced of the possibility of defeating the
Americans," citing a list of recent attacks against US interests across the
globe.
A US-led war on Iraq "will be only a stage in a series of planned attacks
targeting other countries, including Syria, Iran, Egypt and Sudan", he is
quoted as saying.
"It's a Bush-Blair agreement under the same banner and same aims, those of
the crusaders trying to destroy the Islamic nation," he said in reference to
the strong support given the US leader by British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
The threats to attack Iraq "are not a passing cloud in summer but a
strategic objective" of US policy "to carve up" the region and allow the
creation of a greater Israel, he said.
He goes on to describe Saudi and other Gulf leaders as stooges of
Washington, comparable to US-backed Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
"Who installed the rulers of the Gulf states?" he asks.
"…those who installed the Karzai of Afghanistan and confirmed the Karzai of
Pakistan in office also installed the Karzai of Kuwait, the Karzai of
Bahrain and the Karzai of Qatar.
"They also installed the Karzai of Riyadh, bringing him back after he was a
refugee in Kuwait a Century ago to fight with them against the Ottoman
state," says bin Laden in an apparent reference to Saudi Arabia's founder
King Abdul Aziz al-Saud.
PTI
