Bin Laden Warns Of New U.s Attacks

[Frost]

By Yara Bayoumy

DUBAI (Reuters) - Osama bin Laden warned that al Qaeda was preparing new attacks inside the United States, but said the group was open to a conditional truce with Americans, according to an audio tape attributed to him on Thursday.

It was the first purported tape by bin Laden since 2004. Al Jazeera television, which aired the tape, said it was recorded in December.

"The operations are under preparation and you will see them in your houses as soon as they are complete, God willing," said the speaker on the audio tape, who sounded like bin Laden.

In the tape, bin Laden said al Qaeda was willing to "respond" to U.S. public opinion in favour of withdrawing troops from Iraq. He did not specify conditions for the truce, but indicated that it was linked to U.S. troops quitting Iraq.

"Based on the substance of the polls, which indicate Americans do not want to fight Muslims on Muslim land, nor do they want Muslims to fight them on their land, we do not mind offering a long-term truce based on just conditions that we will stand by," he said.

"There is nothing wrong with this solution except that it deprives the influential people and warlords in America from hundreds of billions of dollars, -- those who supported Bush's election campaign with billions of dollars.

Responding to the truce offer, the White House said that the United States "does not negotiate with terrorists.

Bin Laden also offered a truce to Europe in a tape in April 2004 but not to the United States.

Jazeera declined to give any details about how it had obtained the tape and an editor said there was a reference in the recording that indicated it had been made in December.

A CIA official in Washington said U.S. intelligence analysts have authenticated the audiotape as a genuine message from Osama bin Laden following a "a technical analysis".

RECRUITING GROUND

In the brief segments aired, bin Laden ridiculed U.S. President George W. Bush for misreading public opinion which he said showed the American people wanted U.S. forces to quit Iraq.

He also said Iraq had become a recruiting ground for militants. Al Qaeda in Iraq, led by close bin Laden ally Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, is one of several insurgent groups fighting U.S. and foreign forces in Iraq. U.S. and Iraqi officials say many of their members are non-Iraqis.

"Your President is misinterpreting public opinion polls which show that the vast majority of you support the withdrawal of your forces from Iraq," bin Laden said.

"He (Bush) disagreed with this desire and said the withdrawal of troops will give the wrong message to the enemy and that it is better to fight them on their ground than on our ground.

"Reality shows that the war against the U.S. and its allies is not just restricted to Iraq as he claims, but Iraq has become a gravitational point and a recruiting ground for qualified (mujahideen)," he added.

Analyst Mustafa Alani said bin Laden's message was part of his psychological warfare against Washington.

"I don't believe they have the capacity now to carry out a major operation, especially in the United States... The value is not what he is saying, the value is that he is still alive.

"INTERESTING TIMING"

Bin Laden's last audio tape was in December 2004. The interval between then and now is his longest public silence since al Qaeda's September 11 attacks on the United States in 2001.

Saudi-born Bin Laden and his right-hand man, Ayman al-Zawahri, are believed to be hiding in a mountainous area on the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

On Thursday, Pakistani intelligence sources said four top al Qaeda militants were believed to be killed in a U.S. air strike last week which U.S. officials say was aimed at Zawahri.

"The timing of its airing is interesting, to say the least," the U.S. counterterrorism official said.

"It could be an effort to demonstrate that bin Laden is still out there and still a force to be reckoned with. It may have been aired now to provide some reassurance to the jihadist community after last Friday's airstrike in Pakistan.

Daniel Benjamin, a U.S. terrorism expert, said bin Laden had offered truces before.

"I would interpret this as bin Laden saying, one way in which you can bow your knee to us, either before or after these attacks, is with some kind of truce," he said.

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[simmal tree]

bin laden shin laden

bush mush

aethae bhae tho kahaa bhae bhoopath

anth ko naangae kee paae padhaarae

[Mehtab Singh]

This guy is a joke. His audio/video cassettes come out regularly like a pop star's albums. He would be better off being a Punjabi pop star.

[WGJKKWGJKF]

WAHEGURU JI KA KHALSA WAHEGURU JI KI FATEH

LOL

WAHEGURU JI KA KHALSA WAHEGURU JI KI FATEH

[koonergs]

he should be on the new upcoming show "terrorist idol"

[Mehtab Singh]

Osama sings to encourage suicide bombers: Just go blow up yoursef and it don't matter if your black or white