A voice supposedly belonging to Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden called on Muslims to fight against the US occupation in Iraq, in a new audio-tape aired on Qatar-based Al Jazeera Sunday evening.
The voice on the tape firmly criticized Arab governments, especially in the Gulf, for supporting the American invasion of Iraq, urging that the fight against US troops should be handled by use of force - not by means of dialogue.
Gulf leaders "know that their turn is coming" after seeing "the capture of their former comrade in treason and collaboration with America," the voice purported to be that of the Al-Qaeda head said.
In addition, the speaker called on Muslims to fight "US-led conspiracies" against the Islamic nation. These "peace initiatives", the voice said, include the "Geneva peace initiative" and the so-called "Road Map" for peace.
The speaker noted the December capture of ousted Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, indicating that the audiotape was made within the last three weeks.
Furthermore, the speaker warned that the continuation of the "crusaders campaign" in the Gulf region, which aims at "controlling the oil in the Gulf as well as the entire Muslim world" will be fatal for the US and its supporters.
Meanwhile, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has said it is "safe to assume" the latest audio-tape purporting to be bin Laden is indeed authentic.
Asked if he believed it a safe assumption that it really was bin Laden's voice, Straw told BBC radio, "Yes."
"There is no question that the al-Qaeda organization and its networks are still around. And so far as we know, Osama bin Laden is still alive," he said. (Albawaba.com)
© 2004 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
