Oresai
01-15-2009, 08:31 AM
Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden calls for jihad against Israel over Gaza conflict
Jan 15 2009 By Don Mackay
OSAMA bin Laden yesterday demanded a holy war against Israel over the Gaza offensive.
The terror mastermind even condemned other Arab states from his mountain hideaway for not demanding a jihad against the Israelis.
It was the first time that the al-Qaeda leader has spoken from his believed bolthole in the Pakistani mountains since last May.
In a 22-minute rant on an audio tape sent to Arab satellite news station Al-Jazerra, Bin Laden said: "The duty is to urge people to jihad and to enlist the youth into jihad brigades.
"Muslim nation, you are capable of defeating the Zionist entity with your popular capabilities and your great hidden strength - without the support of Arab leaders and despite the fact that most stand in the barracks of the Crusader-Zionist alliance."
Bin Laden accused Arab leaders of "avoiding their responsibility" to liberate Palestine and added: "If you are not convinced to fight, then open the way to those who are convinced."
The tape from the man behind the 9/11 atrocities was released hours after outgoing President George Bush admitted he was in the dark about bin Laden's whereabouts.
He said: "I have no idea where he is. And I don't know if we ever came close."
Pressed in a TV interview about intelligence information on where America's most-wanted man may be, Bush shrugged and astonishingly added: "I just don't know.
I just don't know. I've never known."
He was asked whether he agreed with successor Barack Obama's plans to close the Guantanamo detention centre in Cuba, still housing 250 prisoners, most not charged.
He replied: "I'd like to get rid of it but the problem is you've got a bunch of coldblooded killers down there, who will come back and kill Americans."
The bin Laden tape also called for the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem - revered by muslims - to be captured back.
He said: "The duty is to urge people to jihad and to enlist the youth into jihad brigades."
The authenticity of the tape could not be independently confirmed but the voice was like bin Laden in previous messages.
The tape, entitled "Call for jihad to stop the aggression on Gaza," was played over a still picture of bin Laden and the al-Aqsa Mosque but without the English subtitles and flashy production effects that usually accompany such messages.
Intelligence experts last night said the tape had been hastily put together to exploit anger over the Gaza offensive, which has left hundreds of Palestinians dead.
Israel said the offensive aims to halt rocket fire by Hamas militants against Israeli towns.
Bin Laden and his group often use the Palestinian issue to try to rally support for al-Qaeda and call for holy war to free Jerusalem.
But there has been little sign the terror group have carried out attacks in Israel.
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/2009/01/15/al-qaeda-leader-osama-bin-laden-calls-for-jihad-against-israel-over-gaza-conflict-86908-21042224/
Jan 15 2009 By Don Mackay
OSAMA bin Laden yesterday demanded a holy war against Israel over the Gaza offensive.
The terror mastermind even condemned other Arab states from his mountain hideaway for not demanding a jihad against the Israelis.
It was the first time that the al-Qaeda leader has spoken from his believed bolthole in the Pakistani mountains since last May.
In a 22-minute rant on an audio tape sent to Arab satellite news station Al-Jazerra, Bin Laden said: "The duty is to urge people to jihad and to enlist the youth into jihad brigades.
"Muslim nation, you are capable of defeating the Zionist entity with your popular capabilities and your great hidden strength - without the support of Arab leaders and despite the fact that most stand in the barracks of the Crusader-Zionist alliance."
Bin Laden accused Arab leaders of "avoiding their responsibility" to liberate Palestine and added: "If you are not convinced to fight, then open the way to those who are convinced."
The tape from the man behind the 9/11 atrocities was released hours after outgoing President George Bush admitted he was in the dark about bin Laden's whereabouts.
He said: "I have no idea where he is. And I don't know if we ever came close."
Pressed in a TV interview about intelligence information on where America's most-wanted man may be, Bush shrugged and astonishingly added: "I just don't know.
I just don't know. I've never known."
He was asked whether he agreed with successor Barack Obama's plans to close the Guantanamo detention centre in Cuba, still housing 250 prisoners, most not charged.
He replied: "I'd like to get rid of it but the problem is you've got a bunch of coldblooded killers down there, who will come back and kill Americans."
The bin Laden tape also called for the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem - revered by muslims - to be captured back.
He said: "The duty is to urge people to jihad and to enlist the youth into jihad brigades."
The authenticity of the tape could not be independently confirmed but the voice was like bin Laden in previous messages.
The tape, entitled "Call for jihad to stop the aggression on Gaza," was played over a still picture of bin Laden and the al-Aqsa Mosque but without the English subtitles and flashy production effects that usually accompany such messages.
Intelligence experts last night said the tape had been hastily put together to exploit anger over the Gaza offensive, which has left hundreds of Palestinians dead.
Israel said the offensive aims to halt rocket fire by Hamas militants against Israeli towns.
Bin Laden and his group often use the Palestinian issue to try to rally support for al-Qaeda and call for holy war to free Jerusalem.
But there has been little sign the terror group have carried out attacks in Israel.
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/2009/01/15/al-qaeda-leader-osama-bin-laden-calls-for-jihad-against-israel-over-gaza-conflict-86908-21042224/