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Al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. (Archives)
Last update - 22:19 20/03/2008
Bin Laden tape: Iron and fire needed to liberate Palestine
By The Associated Press
Tags: Al-Qaida, Bin Laden, EU 

Al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden called on Palestinians to use "iron and fire" to end an Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip and liberate their country, in what the pan-Arab television network Al-Jazeera described as a new audio recording.

"My speech is about the Gaza siege and the way to retrieve it and the rest of Palestine from the hands of the Zionist enemy," bin Laden said. "Our enemies did not take it [Palestine] by negotiations and dialogue but with fire and iron. And this is the way to get it back," bin Laden said in the tape.

He also urged Muslims to keep up the struggle against U.S. occupation forces in Iraq as a way of "liberating Palestine."
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"The nearest field of jihad today to support our people in Palestine is the Iraqi field," bin Laden said.

"We tell our brothers in Palestine who could not join the jihad in the land of Al-Quds [Jerusalem], to get rid of illusions of political parties and groups which are mired in trickery of the blasphemous democracy and to take their positions among the ranks of the mujahideen in Iraq," he said.

"Such a Palestinian fight in Iraq should be concentrated on and supported by all Muslims, especially from neighboring countries," bin Laden added and also called on people of Syria, Lebanon Jordan and Saudi Arabia to help in support of their mujahideen brothers in Iraq.

If Thursday's recording proves to be that of bin Laden, it will be the second audio tape released by the al-Qaida leader in as many days. Al-Jazeera did not say how it obtained the recording.

Earlier Thursday, Italian security officials said they were treating bin Laden's new accusations against Pope Benedict's involvement in a campaign against Islam as a serious threat, the Ansa news agency reported, quoting a source at the interior ministry's anti-terrorism unit.

An interior ministry spokesman said security officials will meet on Friday to examine the previous taped message released Wednesday by the al-Qaida leader, in which he said offending cartoons of Islam's Prophet Mohammad were part of a "new crusade" against Islam involving Pope Benedict.

Bin Laden addressed the "wise men" of the European Union in this audio message, posted on extremist Web sites late Wednesday, slamming the publication of drawings insulting to the Prophet Mohammed and vowed a strong reaction.

The message, which appeared on a militant Web site that has carried Al-Qaida statements in the past and bore the logo of the extremist group's media wing al-Sahab, showed a still image of bin Laden aiming with a AK-47.

A voice believed to be Bin Laden's described "the attacks of the Europeans on women and children," but said these "paled [in comparison] when you went overboard in your unbelief and freed yourselves of the etiquettes of dispute and fighting and went to the extent of publishing these insulting drawings, this is the greatest misfortune and the most dangerous."

Bin Laden went on to describe the cartoons as taking place in the framework of a "new Crusade against Islam," in which the Pope has played a large and lengthy Role, and warned the Europeans that a reaction would come.

"The response will be what you see and not what you hear and let our mothers bereave us if we do not make victorious our messenger of God," he said, without specifying what action would be taken.

The five minute message, which featured English subtitles, is bin Laden's
first for 2008 and follows up an hour-long, audio missive from Dec. 27 in
which he warned Iraq's Sunni Arabs against fighting Al-Qaida in Iraq and vowed new attacks on Israel.

The United States Central Intelligence Authority officials Thursday confirmed the voice on the tape was indeed that of the Al-Qaida leader responsible for the September 11 terror attack on New York's World Trade Center which killed over 2,500 people.

The message came as the Muslim world marked the Mulid al-Nabi, the birthday of the Prophet Mohammed.

Related articles:
  • Al-Qaida's No. 2: Annapolis summit was betrayal of Palestinians
  • Abbas: Hamas supporting Al-Qaida in Gaza, Fatah will not negotiate
  • Deputy Al-Qaida leader calls Abbas, Fatah 'secular traitors'
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      1.   Cave ravings 01:23  |  Jeroen de Jager 20/03/08
      2.   I was only kissing! I am jooish you know 01:41  |  *Ben Laden 20/03/08
      3.   its not BinLaden 01:45  |  Omar 20/03/08
      4.   Quit begging for attention and go back to 02:08  |  Che Vive 20/03/08
      5.   Same Old BS 02:20  |  Steve 20/03/08
      6.   Bin Laden 02:21  |  Arab Aussie 20/03/08
      7.   9/11 Was an Inside Job Bin Laden Bogeyman 02:40  |  Mark 20/03/08
      8.   You`re losin` bin ladin 03:00  |  Conroy 20/03/08
      9.   Ohh G-d Help Us! 03:34  |  LOL 20/03/08
      10.   Omar is100% correct ,Bin Laden is Dead 03:57  |  Mark 20/03/08
      11.   Arabs should be embarrassed..... 04:10  |  R 20/03/08
      12.   to omar 3 04:13  |  Ben 20/03/08
      13.   Bin laden the blasphemer of islam 04:36  |  real vision 20/03/08
      14.   Bin Laden the Bastard should be hunted 05:28  |  Brod 20/03/08
      15.   Haaretz ... OBL Loves you 06:17  |  GZLives 20/03/08
      16.   LET`S hear the useful idiots spin this one. 06:54  |  PETER SM 20/03/08
      17.   Religion of Peace????????????? 07:53  |  Sylus 20/03/08
      18.   THIS IS GOING TO BE A NASTY BUSINESS 08:01  |  indrajaya 20/03/08
      19.   Bin Laden = Bin Hiding 08:02  |  Lavi 20/03/08
      20.   Bin Laden hypocritical chicken hearted coward 08:06  |  JG 20/03/08
      21.   RUSTY VOWS - attack Israel? 08:09  |  The Archives 20/03/08
      22.   Arab terrorists do not need excuses in order to commit assassinat 08:19  |  Jean Van Daem 20/03/08
      23.   Steve #5 09:04  |  Newsreader 20/03/08
      24.   OMAR/`Mark" your evidence being? 09:09  |  PETER SM 20/03/08
      25.   THE AMERICAN PEOPLE 10:14  |  BigBadJohn 20/03/08
      26.   what is power 10:44  |  stork 20/03/08
      27.   Indrajaya # 18 11:16  |  ChanahS 20/03/08
      28.   Mr BIN LADEN: THANK YOU BUT KEEP OUT OF IT. YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN 11:17  |  TripleJump 20/03/08
      29.   He is damn good CIA student! 11:18  |  Realist 20/03/08
      30.   Indraya`s reaction is a sorry prove of the PROBLEM 11:53  |  Jeroen de Jager 20/03/08
      31.   #23 Newsreader (if that is your real name) 11:57  |  Steve 20/03/08
      32.   Could he do something real to Germany and cut the 12:21  |  Karl 20/03/08
      33.   VERYconsistent with past riots,murder&torchings over the cartoons 12:29  |  PETER SM 20/03/08
      34.   Don`t worry Bin Laden 12:48  |  Nik Miller 20/03/08
      35.   Don`t worry Bin Laden 12:48  |  Nik Miller 20/03/08
      36.   I do not think the pope... 12:56  |  Edith 20/03/08
      37.   I blame Israel 12:59  |  Paul Wood 20/03/08
      38.   The Crime Syndicate & its junior partner in crime have an agenda 13:27  |  lakshmi 20/03/08
      39.   BS! The Americans did it; ask Obama`s pastor 13:27  |  Mark Anthony 20/03/08
      40.   RUBBING YOUR HANDS indrajaya, you moron? 13:34  |  Romano 20/03/08
      41.   Paul Woods blames Israel (as did Haman) 13:43  |  Jeroen de Jager 20/03/08
      42.   Bin Laden and the Islamic Challenge. 15:53  |  Stephen. 20/03/08
      43.   #18 indrajaya you are so right 15:54  |  K 20/03/08
      44.   Islam. 17:25  |  Jean Van Daem 20/03/08
      45.   JIHAD AGAINST FREE SPEECH AND FREE EXPRESSION 17:48  |  Ian 20/03/08
      46.   I can`t understand the panic 19:29  |  Chris Linthwaite 20/03/08
      47.   Arabs should be concerned. 19:30  |  Charles Smyth 20/03/08
      48.   You may not approve of Europeans in general 19:39  |  Mark B. 20/03/08
      49.   #44 Mr. jean Van Daem, I don`t agree 19:55  |  Edith 20/03/08
      50.   Oooo Buga Buga 20:51  |  Steve 20/03/08
      51.   48 Mark B freedom of speech is not absolute! 20:52  |  lakshmi 20/03/08
      52.   #49, Edith, what is there to disagree with? 21:08  |  DR 20/03/08
      53.   So... What`s new? 21:13  |  Matt 20/03/08
      54.   #38 Lakshmi 21:13  |  H 20/03/08
      55.   The Disturbed Paul Wood 21:20  |  Honest Observation 20/03/08
      56.   Right and Will 21:24  |  Gabriel 20/03/08
      57.   to#37 Paul Wood 21:30  |  Marcelo 20/03/08
      58.   Is he comming out of his cave.... 21:31  |  leo 20/03/08
      59.   IM SORRY TO SAY THIS BUT... 21:37  |  Thomas 20/03/08
      60.   indrajaya,you better hope bin laden dream of a holy war never 21:40  |  terrornator 20/03/08
      61.   #52 Honest Observation 21:42  |  Paul Wood 20/03/08
      62.   Paul Woods comments 21:46  |  ron 20/03/08
      63.   With respect.LOL. This site is the first who was contacted, Why 21:47  |  Simon Mohammed 20/03/08
      64.   #55 Marcelo 21:48  |  Paul Wood 20/03/08
      65.   indrajaya #18 21:53  |  BRL 20/03/08
      66.   Hmmm 22:01  |  Dan 20/03/08
      67.   to # 44, Islam is a peacful religions, I know that much 22:18  |  Simon Mohammed 20/03/08
      68.   to 49, I am not sure on agreeing or not with you 22:19  |  Simon Mohammed 20/03/08
      69.   Al-Qaida are broke 22:20  |  Big Sooz 20/03/08
      70.   #62 Ron of santa Fe 22:21  |  Paul Wood 20/03/08