- DUBAI (Reuters) - Qatar's
al-Jazeera television broadcast Monday what it said was a statement by
Osama bin Laden hailing last week's attacks on U.S. Marines in Kuwait and
a French supertanker off Yemen.
The statement urged Muslims to wage war against the United States and Israel.
The statement, carried by Jazeera and at least one Islamist Web site (www.islammemo.com),
also blasted the United States for planning to attack Iraq and accused
Washington of trying to rob Arab nations of their riches.
"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 typed statement, which Jazeera said bore bin Laden's signature, was
referring to Tuesday's attack on U.S. troops training on a Kuwaiti island
which killed one Marine and wounded another as well as last Sunday's blast
which ripped through the French-flagged Limburg in the Gulf of Aden, killing
one crewman.
If proven to be from the Saudi-born militant, the statement would be the
first conclusive proof that bin Laden survived the U.S. military campaign
in Afghanistan which it waged in retaliation for the Sept. 11, 2001, suicide
attacks.
"These attacks coincide with the first anniversary of the crusade
and is a clear message to enemies and friends alike that the mujahideen
have not been weakened or exhausted," 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.
Washington blames bin Laden and his al Qaeda network for the hijacked plane
attacks on New York and Washington.
The statement did not make any mention of the weekend bomb attack which
killed 181 people, mostly young Westerners, on the Indonesian resort island
of Bali.
Indonesia, a mostly Muslim nation, and other countries have linked the
blast to al Qaeda.
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