DUBAI - 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 U.S.-led
military campaign in Afghanistan.
Washington struck Afghanistan to flush out bin Laden and
his al Qaeda network, its key suspects in last year's September
11 hijacked plane attacks on New York and Washington.
The typed text also blasted the United States for planning
to strike Iraq and accused Washington of trying to rob Arab
nations of their "riches," particularly crude oil.
"We congratulate the Muslim nation for the daring and
heroic jihad (holy war) operations which our brave sons
conducted in Yemen against the Christian oil tanker and in
Kuwait against the American occupation and aggression forces,"
it said.
"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
continuing their aggression against our nation," it added.
The text, which Jazeera said bore bin Laden's signature,
was referring to last Tuesday's attack on U.S. troops training
on a Kuwaiti island which killed one Marine and to the October
6 blast which gutted the French-flagged tanker Limburg in the
Gulf of Aden, killing one crewman.
QAEDA FINGERPRINTS
The statement made no mention of the weekend bomb attack
which killed 181 people, mostly young Westerners, on the resort
island of Bali and which Indonesia and other nations have
linked to al Qaeda.
Kuwait has blamed Tuesday's shooting on a local militant
cell indirectly linked to al Qaeda while Yemen, home to many
Islamic militants and suspected al Qaeda members, said it was
convinced the supertanker had been deliberately struck.
"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 statement added.
"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," it added.
Bin Laden regards the United States as the key enemy of
Muslims for what he calls bias toward Israel and for having a
military presence in Muslim countries such as his homeland
Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam.
The statement called on Muslims to unite and unleash what
it called their countries' substantial military and economic
capabilities against the United States.
The text also jeered at the United States, saying that
Washington's campaign in Afghanistan had failed to break the
back of al Qaeda and the ousted militant Taliban government
which had sheltered it.
"These attacks coincide with the anniversary of the crusade
and are a clear message to enemies and friends alike that the
mujahideen have not been weakened or exhausted," it declared.
Jazeera said it received the statement by fax. A U.S.
intelligence official in the United States said that "if
received electronically it would be impossible to verify" (the
signature).
Last week, Jazeera broadcast what it said was the voice of
bin Laden threatening to repay the United States "twofold" for
any attack on Muslim countries.
The last bin Laden video emerged in April, undated, and was
a warning to the United States it would not feel safe until
Palestinians enjoyed peace.
In Washington, President Bush shrugged off the statement.
"We don't know whether bin Laden is alive or dead. You
know, they keep floating supposed letters and radio broadcasts.
We do know that al Qaeda's still dangerous, and while we've
made good progress, there is a lot more work to do," Bush said
at an impromptu news conference.
(Additional reporting by Ghaida Ghantous, Inal Ersan and
Firouz Sedarat)