Osama offers gold for U.S. assassination

[United Press International]

BAGHDAD, May 6 (UPI) -- Osama Bin Laden is offering 22
pounds of gold for anyone who kills top U.S. and U.N. officials in
Iraq, says a Web site published by Islamic militants.
The rewards of gold, worth approximately $137,000, would be
given to anyone killing Paul Bremer, the U.S. administrator in Iraq,
or senior military officers, the BBC reported Thursday. The same
amount is being offered for the death of U.N. chief Kofi Annan or
his Iraqi envoy, Lakhdar Brahimi.
The BBC said the statement used language similar to previous
Bin Laden statements, and was filled with Koranic verse.
It was claimed to be a transcript of an audio recording of
the al-Qaida leader.

[United Press International]

BAGHDAD, May 6 (UPI) -- Osama Bin Laden is offering 10
kilograms of gold for anyone who kills top U.S. and U.N. officials

in Iraq, says a Web site published by Islamic militants.

The rewards of gold, equal to 22 pounds and worth
approximately $137,000, would be for the killing of Paul Bremer, the

U.S. administrator in Iraq, or senior military officers, the BBC
reported Thursday. The same amount is being offered for the death of
U.N. chief Kofi Annan or his Iraqi envoy, Lakhdar Brahimi.
The BBC said the statement used language similar to previous

Bin Laden statements, and was filled with Koranic verse. But experts
noted Bin Laden has never offered rewards for missions which he
considers to be a religious duty.
The statement was claimed to be a transcript of an audio

recording of the al-Qaida leader.

Smaller rewards of 1 kilograms or about two pounds of gold
were offered for the deaths of ordinary Americans and Britons, and
half that for the killing of citizens of Japan and Italy.
The U.S. has offered a $27 million bounty for the capture or
killing of Bin Laden.