New Bin Laden tape issues threat to civilians
Brian Whitaker Monday April 24, 2006 The Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/alqaida/story/0,,1759946,00.html Osama bin Laden issued an ominous warning yesterday, apparently seeking to justify attacks on civilians in the west and calling on his supporters to open up a new front in al-Qaida's struggle. In extracts from a tape broadcast by al-Jazeera television, a voice sounding like Bin Laden's said the western public shared responsibility for the actions of their governments, particularly for what he described as "a continuous crusader-Zionist war on Islam". "The war is a responsibility shared between the people and the governments," the voice said. "The war goes on and the people are renewing their allegiance to its rulers and masters. "They send their sons to armies to fight us and they continue their financial and moral support while our countries are burned and our houses are bombed and our people are killed." Referring to current events, he spoke about the Palestinians' election of a Hamas government and urged his supporters to open up a new front in Sudan by fighting a proposed UN force in Darfur. "I call on mujahideen and their supporters, especially in Sudan and the Arabian peninsula, to prepare for long war against the crusader plunderers in western Sudan," he said. "Our goal is not defending the Khartoum government but to defend Islam, its land and its people. I urge holy warriors to be acquainted with the land and the tribes in Darfur." The White House said intelligence officials believe the tape was authentic, and added: "The al-Qaida leadership is on the run and under a lot of pressure." The Darfur conflict erupted in 2003 when mostly non-Arab tribes revolted, accusing the Arab-led government of neglect. Khartoum retaliated by arming mainly Arab militias, known as janjaweed, who began a campaign of murder, rape and plunder that drove more than 2 million villagers into squalid camps in Sudan and neighbouring Chad. Bin Laden, who was based in Sudan for several years during the 1990s, also denounced the peace accord between Khartoum and the mainly Christian and animist south, which was signed last year. "This agreement is not worth the ink it was written with and does not bind us," he said, adding that southern Sudan was "part of the Islamic lands". "It's very dangerous," said Abdel Bari Atwan, editor of al-Quds al-Arabi newspaper and author of a book on al-Qaida. "The timing is important. He's sensing that there's a failed state in Sudan and he would like to extend his bases." The combination of a weak government in Khartoum and the prospect of UN forces being sent to Sudan was creating "an atmosphere that he loves", Mr Atwan said. Al-Jazeera broadcast four short extracts from the tape and summarised other parts. "The tape has not been independently verified, although the voice sounds similar to that on previous tapes from the al-Qaida leader," the Qatar-based channel said on its website. It was the first audio message attributed to Bin Laden since January 19, when he threatened new attacks against the US but also talked of a truce. In yesterday's message, he indicated that the west was not interested in his offer: "They do not want a truce unless it is from our side only ... they insist on continuing their crusader campaign against our nation and to loot our wealth." He cited the western treatment of the Palestinians' elected Hamas government as evidence of a war against Islam. The blockade which the west is imposing on the government of Hamas proves that there is a Zionist-crusader war on Islam," he said. Hamas distanced itself from the remarks. "The ideology of Hamas is different from the ideology of Sheikh bin Laden," a Hamas spokesman, Sami Abu Zuhri, said. He added, however, that the "international siege on the Palestinian people" would create tension in the Arab and Muslim world. Although Hamas wants good relations with the west, he said, "it's natural that this tension is going to create an impression that there is a western-Israeli alliance working against the Palestinians". In the summarised sections of the tape, Bin Laden denounced the UN security council for giving a veto to "the crusaders of the world and the Buddhist pagans". He also mocked King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia for promoting a "dialogue among civilisations" when - according to Bin Laden - it was the west that had launched an assault against Islamic civilisation. In Washington yesterday, a Republican congressman, Peter Hoekstra, said the tape was part of a sophisticated effort to win followers that would make a politician proud. "The quality of the materials, the quality of the marketing - the message is very, very good," he told Fox News. Mr Hoekstra, who is chairman of the House intelligence committee, said al-Qaida "recognises that much of this war, this battle that we're fighting, is about winning the hearts and the minds of moderate Islam, and they are focused on that. We need to be focused on it". The Democratic senator John Kerry said the tape "underscores the failure of this administration to capture him". -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: [email protected] Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. 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