Bin Laden says U.S. seeks to exploit Iraqi oil
Sun Dec 30, 2007 4:09am EST
By Inal Ersan
DUBAI (Reuters) - Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden
accused Washington of plotting to take control of
Iraq's oil and urged Iraqis to reject efforts to
rebuild a U.S.-backed national unity government there.
The militant leader also vowed in a recording posted
on an Islamist Web site on Saturday to expand jihad to
liberate all Palestinian land "from the
(Mediterranean) sea to the (Jordan) river" and said
his group will never recognize Israel.
"America seeks, alongside its agents in the region, to
create an allied government ... that would accept in
advance the presence of major U.S. bases in Iraq and
give the Americans all they wish of Iraq's oil," he
said in the 56-minute recording.
The Saudi-born militant said the envisaged Iraqi
government was also meant to help Washington "fully
dominate" the region with help from allies such as
Saudi Arabia.
"The government of Riyadh is still playing its wicked
roles," he said, describing Saudi Arabia's King
Abdullah as the United States' "chief agent".
Referring to a Saudi push in February to help
Palestinian rivals agree a unity government which fell
apart in June, he said Riyadh was part of a scheme to
lure Islamist Palestinian militant group Hamas away
from its jihadist roots.
"I assure our kin in Palestine especially that we
shall expand our jihad ... We will not recognize a
state for the Jews over even an inch of Palestinian
soil," said bin Laden.
Bin Laden did not mention accusations al Qaeda was
behind Thursday's assassination of Pakistani
opposition leader Benazir Bhutto. A Qaeda-allied
militant leader has denied involvement.
BLUE HELMETS
Bin Laden took a swing at Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, the
leader of Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah group, for
accepting the expansion of a United Nations force in
Lebanon after the Shi'ite group's war with the Jewish
state in 2006.
The peacekeepers sent to Lebanon after the war were
there to "protect the Jews", said bin Laden, whose
group belongs to a school of Islam that sees Shi'ite
Muslims as heretics.
Bin Laden said Washington was planning to form a new
Iraqi national unity government and warned that those
who took part would be turning their backs on Islam.
Sunni Arabs pulled out of Prime Minister Nuri
al-Maliki's Shi'ite-led government earlier this year,
accusing it of being too sectarian.
FORGIVENESS
Bin Laden accepted responsibility for civilian
casualties in al Qaeda attacks but he argued that the
enemy used Muslims as human shields. "We beg God's
forgiveness," he said, vowing to continue to fight
"leaders" of Muslims countries.
Earlier on Saturday, Iraq's Interior Ministry said al
Qaeda's influence in Iraq had dramatically fallen,
with 75 percent of its networks and 70 percent of its
activities having been eliminated.
White House spokesman Tony Fratto said in a statement
the tape was a reminder of al Qaeda's continued
activities in Iraq.
"This is a reminder that the aim of al Qaeda in Iraq
is to block democracy and freedom for all Iraqis. It
also reminds us that the mission to defeat al Qaeda in
Iraq is critically important and must succeed," Fratto
said.
A U.S. counter-terrorism official said Washington was
aware of the recording and was looking into it: "There
has never been a fake bin Laden tape, so there really
wouldn't be any reason going in to believe it would be
anything other than authentic."
Bin Laden also said Muslims were losing money to
"unjust" policies by countries that link their
currencies to the weak U.S. dollar, an apparent
reference to Saudi Arabia and fellow Gulf Arab oil
producers.
He urged supporting militants so they can "preserve
your oil and wealth and protect your money that is
slipping between your fingers due to the unjust and
arbitrary dollar pegs".
Saudi Arabia and four Gulf neighbors agreed in a
summit this month to keep their currencies linked to
the dollar after fellow Gulf Arab Kuwait started
tracking a currency basket.
Al Qaeda media group As-Sahab said the tape was
produced in a lunar calendar month which started on
December 11, but did not give the actual date of the
recording.
(Additional Reporting by Paul Eckert; Editing by Diana
Abdallah)
© Reuters 2007. All rights reserved. Republication or
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Reuters journalists are subject to the Reuters
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and disclosure of relevant interests.
---------------
Jusfiq Hadjar gelar Sutan Maradjo Lelo
Allah yang disembah orang Islam tipikal dan yang digambarkan oleh al-Mushaf itu
dungu, buas, kejam, keji, ganas, zalim lagi biadab hanyalah Allah fiktif.
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