Dubai (Agencies, AlArabiya.net)
The U.S. government has obtained a copy of an alleged new videotape of Osama bin Laden, in which he vowed to step up the battle to end the war in Iraq but made no clear threats or calls for attack, U.S. media reported Friday.
The al-Qaeda chief, in his first public showing in three years, mocked the "weakness" of the United States and called on Americans to embrace Islam.
CNN reported that a senior official told the network that the video "contains no overt threats but does contain several date references, including one that, if confirmed, would indicate the tape is new."
America's ABC news said the transcript contained references to Nicolas Sarkozy's victory in the French presidential elections in May and to the Iraq war in 2007 suggesting that it was made recently, and that bin Laden is still alive.
According to a transcript of the video obtained by ABC, bin Laden apparently says there are two ways to end the Iraq war.
"The first is from our side, and it is to continue to escalate the killing and fighting against you," bin Laden says, according to the transcript published by ABC.
The second is to do away with the American democratic system of government, ABC said, adding the video was about 30 minutes long.
Bin Laden also addresses the American people directly saying: "People of America: the world is following your news in regards to your invasion of Iraq, for people have recently come to know that, after several years of tragedies of this war, the vast majority of you want it stopped."
"Thus, you elected the Democratic Party for this purpose, but the Democrats haven't made a move worth mentioning. On the contrary, they continue to agree to the spending of tens of billions to continue the killing and war there."
According to the transcript obtained by ABC, bin Laden also speaks about recent issues grabbing headlines in the United States, referring to "the reeling of many of you under the burden of interest-related debts, insane taxes and real estate mortgages; global warming and its woes."
”To conclude," bin Laden says, "I invite you to embrace Islam."
U.S. services monitoring Islamic militant websites announced late Thursday that bin Laden was to appear in a recording to mark next week's anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks.
The Web site published a still photograph of bin Laden apparently from the video, which showed the al Qaeda leader looking older than in previously available pictures. However, a photo that Western analysts said accompanied the video announcement showed bin Laden's beard black rather than gray as in pictures from recent years
Bin Laden was last seen in a video statement on the eve of the November 2004 U.S. presidential election. Since then, he has issued several audio messages, the last in July 2006 when he vowed al Qaeda would fight the United States across the world. |
