Bin Laden hails 'heroic' anti-western attacks
( 2002-10-15 09:49 ) (7 )

Osama bin Laden is seen in this April 1998 picture in Afghanistan. [Reuters]

The world's most wanted man, Osama bin Laden, on Monday reportedly praised the perpetrators of last week's anti-Western attacks in Kuwait and Yemen and warned the United States and Israel in a statement of more carnage to come.

The statement, faxed to Qatar's Jazeera television and carried by Jazeera and at least one Islamist Web site (www.islammemo.com), could be the first conclusive proof that the Saudi-born militant had survived last year's US-led military campaign in Afghanistan.

Jazeera said it received the statement by fax. A US intelligence official in the United States said that "if received electronically it would be impossible to verify" (the signature).

Following are extracts from the reported statement by Osama bin Laden in which he praised last week's anti-Western attacks in Kuwait and Yemen:

About a year has passed since the start of the US crusade declared by the US president in which he led an international coalition that grouped more than 90 nations against Afghanistan.

America is now preparing a new stage in its crusade against the Islamic world, this time against the Muslim Iraqi people to complete its scheme to divide and rupture the (Muslim) nation, rob its riches and pave the way for a greater Israel after expelling the Palestinians.

On this occasion we would like to stress several issues

- Regarding the destruction of the jihad (holy war) leadership, it failed to kill or capture any of the Taliban or al Qaeda leadership or other mujahideen leadership.

- Regarding security and stability in Afghanistan, America failed to deliver its promise of uniting the country under a central government and forming a unified army to end control of militias. The biggest success of the campaign was fragmenting the country where warlords and former drug dealers fight.

- Regarding human rights, the best example given by the American campaign was burning hundred of shackled prisoners in Mazar-i-Sharif with cluster bombs and napalm projectiles banned internationally...and killing thousands of prisoners in death containers not to mention the thousands of civilian women, children and elderly killed by US smart and "stupid" bombs.

- Regarding combating narcotics, promised by America, it is enough to know the Afghan opium crop this year reached a record level under the patronage of US forces and the international forces in Afghanistan according to the United Nations....

Secondly, the American entrapment in Afghanistan" - The invading forces in Afghanistan have started to drown in the Afghan mire. It is odd that these crusader troops came to protect the regime in Kabul from jihad fighters and now need to be defended by the regime against continuous raids by fighters.

- The US occupation of Afghanistan will not have a better ending than that of the Soviet occupation with God's will. America sees this and now seeks to draw attention away from that failure by sounding the drums of war against Iraq.

Thirdly, we shall not rest or retire" - The mujahideen with the grace of God are keeping their vow to God to fight for his sake and to liberate the nation.

Fourthly, a call to the nation" - Ye nation of Islam...whether this whole nation is targeted without distinguishing between allies or foes is no longer an issue because the enemy helped us unveil this fact. The issue now is how do we face this flagrant aggression.

If we want God to grant us victory...we should arm ourselves with several tools, including" - A return to God through repentance, honest work and true intentions.

- To unite under God. If it is true that conflict and differences are the main reasons for failure, matters our nation is suffering from, it is true that unity, consensus and faith are the key to victory and the gate to domination.

- To stimulate the nation's capabilities, most important of which is the Muslim who is the fuel of battle.

Our nation is one of the richest on earth. Its resources have for ages been exploited to serve our enemies and conspire against our brethren. And its vast military capabilities are rusting in warehouses in Islamic nations.

It is high time that these capabilities are freed to explode and defend the targeted faith, the violated sanctity, the tarnished honour, the raped land and the robbed riches....

The priority in this war at this stage must be against the infidels, the Americans and the Jews, who will not stop infringing upon us except through jihad.

There are also merchants and capitalists who are not any less important than others in pushing this battle forward to its aim of spreading God's religion and teachings on earth. Your money will stop a flooding that seeks our destruction....

We congratulate the Muslim nation for the daring and heroic jihad operations which our brave sons conducted in Yemen against the Christian oil tanker and in Kuwait against the American occupation and aggression forces.

By striking the oil tanker in Yemen with explosives, the attackers struck at the umbilical cord of the Christians, reminding the enemy of the bloody price they have to pay for their continued aggression on our nation and robbing our riches.

The heroic Kuwait operation also proves the level of danger that threatens US forces in Islamic countries, and the political office will issue two separate statements on the two operations and their indications....

The timing of the attack against a military target of such importance as Marine forces in Kuwait and the bombing of an economic target the size of the oil tanker in Yemen, and issuing oral and written statements from Taliban and Qaeda leaders who America thought it had killed...

The fact that all this coincided with the one-year anniversary of the start of the Christian crusade is not a coincidence but a clear and strong message to all our enemies and friends alike that the Mujahideen, thanks be to God, have not been weakened or exhausted and that God repaid those who sinned with their mischief.

We are continuing our path...and we renew our promise to God, and to the nation, and our promise to the Americans and Jews that they will not be at peace and should not dream of security until they let our nations be and stop their aggression and support for our enemies. The unjust know what awaits them.