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Purported bin Laden message on war against infidels


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CNN's David Ensor reports U.S. officials are analyzing the audiotape thought to contain the voice of Osama bin Laden (February 12)
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CNN's Andrea Koppel reports that Secretary of State Colin Powell says the alleged bin Laden tape is evidence of an al Qaeda-Iraq link (February 12)
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A portion of the purportedly new audio message from al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden calls on Muslims to fight 'the infidels' (February 11)
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CNN's Wolf Blitzer and Octavia Nasr examine a portion of the purported bin Laden audiotape on which he calls on Muslims to defend Iraq if attacked by the U.S. (February 11)
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(CNN) -- The Qatar-based, Arabic-language network Al-Jazeera broadcast an audiotape Tuesday of a voice purported to be that of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

The speaker called on all Muslims to fight any U.S.-led attack on Iraq, suggested battle strategies and warned leaders of Islamic nations not to help the enemy.

Excerpts of the tape follow:

"In the name of God most merciful, a message to all brothers in Iraq. Peace be on you. All you believers fear God as he should be feared and say we will die as Muslims."

"We have been following anxiously the preparations of the crusaders to conquer the former capital of Islam and steal their wealth and impose a puppet regime that follows its masters in Washington and Tel Aviv, just like these Arab governments, in order to create what is called greater Israel. This is a war led by the infidels, by America and its spies and agents. ..."

"We need your intention to be to fight for the sake of God, not for nationalism or any infidel regime, including Iraq. ... "

"We have recorded through our fight with the enemy that they concentrate on psychological warfare. They rely on intensive air bombardment, but their soldiers are cowards, and convinced that their government is lacking a just cause. They fight for those capitalists and arm dealers, led by the criminal gang in the White House. ..."

"Their smart bombs failed to help them (at Tora Bora, Afghanistan). They will be wasting their weapons and their money, so build trenches. As Caliph Omar said, 'seek refuge in the soil.'"

"We also advise you to drag the forces into fighting you in street fights. Take them into farms, into cities, and fight them in there ... they will be losing a lot of lives. We also encourage the suicide attacks against the enemy. Just look at what happened to the U.S. and Israel."

"We also want to clarify that whoever helps America ... either if they fight next to them or give them support in any form or shape, even by words, if they help them to kill the Muslims in Iraq, they have to know that they are outside this Islamic nation. Jordan and Morocco and Nigeria and Saudi Arabia should be careful that this war, this crusade, is attacking the people of Islam first. It doesn't matter whether the socialist (Baath) party or Saddam disappear. ..."

"We want to ask the good Muslims to help in any way they can to join the forces and ... overthrow the leaderships that work as slaves for America. ... "

"And it doesn't harm in these conditions the interest of Muslims to agree with those of the socialists in fighting against the crusaders, even though we believe the socialists are infidels. For the socialists and the rulers have lost their legitimacy a long time ago, and the socialists are infidels regardless of where they are, whether in Baghdad or in Aden. ... "

"In conclusion, I advise you and myself to be pious to Allah and (inaudible) in open, and to be patient and persevere in the jihad so the victory is patient for one hour. And I also advise myself and you to mention God and pray to him. God Almighty said, 'All you who believe, if you meet the enemy hold fast and mention the name of God often so that you may win.' "


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