Osama Bin Laden targets Israel on anniversary
Pastor Dale Morgan
Osama Bin Laden targets Israel on anniversary*
By David Blair, Diplomatic Editor
Last updated: 10:29 PM BST 16/05/2008
Osama bin Laden vowed to reclaim "every inch of Palestine" today when an
audio tape purporting to be from the al-Qa'eda leader was released.
The message was timed to coincide with the 60th anniversary of Israel's
foundation.
So far, the tape has not been authenticated. But the words used were
consistent with bin Laden's earlier messages.
"We will continue, God permitting, the fight against the Israelis and
their allies," said the voice, which sounded like bin Laden's.
"We will not give up a single inch of Palestine as long as there is one
true Muslim on earth."
The terrorist leader's latest missive – the fourth to have appeared so
far this year – was addressed to "Western peoples" and entitled: "The
Causes of Conflict on the 60th Anniversary of the State of Israeli
Occupation".
The significance of the tape lies not in its message but the proof
offered that bin Laden is alive and at liberty.
Moreover, his ability to release regular missives to his global circle
of followers shows that bin Laden has a sophisticated network around him.
In the tape, bin Laden says: "To Western nations: this speech is to
understand the core reason of the war between our civilization and your
civilians. I mean the Palestinian cause.
"The Palestinian cause is the major issue for my [Islamic] nation. It
was an important element in fueling me from the beginning and the 19
others with a great motive to fight for those subjected to injustice and
the oppressed,” added bin Laden, in reference to the number of
terrorists who launched the Sept 11 attacks on America.
Bin Laden said Western leaders were insincere in their expressed desire
for Israeli-Palestinian peace and failed to criticise Israel for its
attacks against the Palestinian people.
"Peace talks that started 60 years ago are just meant to deceive the
idiots,” said bin Laden. “After all the destruction and the killings ...
your leaders talk about principles. This is unbearable.
"You describe Palestinian organizations as terrorists and you boycott
them and punish them while Israelis are killing civilians, women and
children," he added.
A spokesman for the Israeli government said: “We do not relate or pay
attention to the words of this terrorist lunatic. The time has come for
him to be apprehended and pay for his crimes.”
The general assumption is that bin Laden has found refuge in the Tribal
Areas lining Pakistan's north-west frontier with Afghanistan.
This was the 18th message that bin Laden has released since the
terrorist attacks on September 11. Of these, six have been videos and 12
audio tapes.
The last video message appeared in September 2007 – and that contained
only a single still image of bin Laden.
This reluctance to release visual images of the al-Qa'eda leader may
have two possible explanations. He might have changed his physical
appearance in order to avoid capture – or he could be ill and unwilling
to show his frailty to the world.