LONDON, May 16, 2008

Bin Laden: Palestinian Cause Prompted 9/11

Audio Message Claims Al Qaeda's Main Motivation Is To Liberate Palestinians

  • This screen shot taken from the militant Islamic Internet forum El-Ekhlas on May 16, 2008 shows an old photo of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden with the caption,

    This screen shot taken from the militant Islamic Internet forum El-Ekhlas on May 16, 2008 shows an old photo of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden with the caption, "A Message to the Peoples of the West, From Sheik Osama bin Laden".  (CBS)

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(CBS/AP)  Al Qaeda's media operation has released a new audio message on the Internet from Osama bin Laden, dealing primarily with Israel and the Palestinians on the 60th anniversary of Israel's creation.

The message, downloaded by CBS News from the prominent jihadist Web forum El Ekhlas, did not include any new images of the al Qaeda chief.

The 9:40-minute audio by bin Laden showed an old photo of his face over a brown graphic and included the title, "A Message to the Peoples of the West: From Sheik Osama bin Laden," with the subheading: “The Reasons for the Struggle on the 60th Anniversary of the Creation of the Occupation State of Israel.”

Bin Laden began his message by telling listeners that the Palestinian-Israeli conflict has always been the primary cause for friction between the West and the Muslim world - a struggle which he said was getting more difficult due to European policies biased in Israel's favor.

"The Palestinian cause has been the main factor that, since my early childhood, fueled my desire, and that of the 19 freemen (Sept. 11 bombers), to stand by the oppressed, and punish the oppressive Jews and their allies," the al Qaeda chief said.

"We shall continue the fight, Allah willing, against the Israelis and their allies, in order to pursue justice for the oppressed, and we shall not give up one inch of Palestine, as long as there is still a single true Muslim alive."

Meanwhile, President Mr. Bush wrapped up his visit to Israel Friday, commemorating the anniversary of the country's creation - a visit which he used to again urge both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to negotiate a peace settlement.

His visit, however, drew frustration from Palestinians, many of whom view the American leader as a biased friend of Israel. On the other side, few Israelis had hope that Mr. Bush could evoke the good will to see an agreement reached by the end of year - his long-stated goal.

Palestinians marked the 60th anniversary of Israel's creation with demonstrations and solemn ceremonies on Thursday - a stark contrast to Israel's joyous birthday celebrations. Palestinians refer to the anniversary as the "nakba," Arabic for catastrophe.

In the audio released Friday, bin Laden said the celebrations proved "that 60 years ago, the state of Israel did not exist. It was forcefully created on Palestinian land under the fire of the weapons, and this is evidence that the Jews are invader occupiers who should be fought."

Mr. Bush's embrace of Israel at a time when the Palestinians were mourning was bound to further harm the tainted U.S. image in the Palestinian areas and across the Arab world.

Palestinian analyst Hani al-Masri said Mr. Bush cannot be a peacemaker if he sides with Israel. "It is not a peace process. It is a process without peace," he told CBS News correspondent Robert Berger.

In a speech to the Knesset, or parliament, Mr. Bush asserted Thursday that the United States has an unbreakable bond with Israel. He said Americans believe that Israel has a right to defend itself from extremists and "killers pledged to its destruction."

Bin Laden reserved much of his new audio address for an attack on the Western media, which he accused of misleading the public to show "the Israeli invaders as the victims."

"On the other hand, they portrayed the Palestinians, who are claiming back their lands, as merciless terrorists," he said. "The media has contributed to the shaping of a misled public opinion that made it possible to involve Western nations in an unjust war against us, as has been the case in Iraq."

Al Qaeda has dramatically increased the pace of its messages since last year.

CBS News consultant Hoda Osman reported that this was bin Laden’s 26th statement since the Sept. 11th attacks, including four videos and 22 audio messages. Bin Laden’s last statement was an audio tape released on March 20th.

© MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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by colonieny May 19, 2008 5:23 AM EDT
he is rewriting history, again. Bull.
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by factsearcher May 19, 2008 12:24 AM EDT
There will be some positive progress in the ME conflict as soon as the palestinian people elect someone with integrity and honest desire to better his people. After Arafat, they just got the same ideology with different names.
The palestinian people have been lied to for too many years now... for what?
No Palestine
No Peace
No great help from their fellow muslim neighbors
The palestinian people are being used as peon for the pity cause and the violence excuse
Poor people

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by kretos-2009 May 18, 2008 10:34 PM EDT
HA HA HA HA LOL

Osama has died long time ago folks ! watch Benazir Bhutto says he has died but BBC cencorsed her speech !

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMiuFx6rQbE
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by prinzowhales May 18, 2008 8:40 PM EDT
guadalcanal3--Put a renal failure patient out in the wilds of Afghanistan and see how long he lasts. Even our arse-puppet Musharaff speculated that he was "probably" dead years ago.

Ask yourself why the alleged ''boss terrorist'' is so shy about having his picture taken now, and isn''t out trading on his name sending out a new video of the week every week. He''s a brand name...if he were living and actually commanding al Anything, he would be out in front.

The faked bin Laden video also suggests that he is deader than a door nail...otherwise, he would have come out and denounced it or had his flunkies do it... beard dye, jewelry...all very un-Wahabi...using the wrong hand...not to mention the fact that the Osama figure looks more like Jack Elam than Osama bin Laden....a stick figure would have been a better likeness.
Reply to this comment
by prinzowhales May 18, 2008 8:39 PM EDT
guadalcanal3--Put a renal failure patient out in the wilds of Afghanistan and see how long he lasts. Even our arse-puppet Musharaff speculated that he was "probably" dead years ago.

Ask yourself why the alleged ''boss terrorist'' is so shy about having his picture taken now, and isn''t out trading on his name sending out a new video of the week every week. He''s a brand name...if he were living and actually commanding al Anything, he would be out in front.

The faked bin Laden video also suggests that he is deader than a door nail...otherwise, he would have come out and denounced it or had his flunkies do it... beard dye, jewelry...all very un-Wahabi...using the wrong hand...not to mention the fact that the Osama figure looks more like Jack Elam than Osama bin Laden....a stick figure would have been a better likeness.
Reply to this comment
by patriotic9 May 18, 2008 6:05 PM EDT
Quoted from the article:
"On the other hand, they portrayed the Palestinians, who are claiming back their lands, as merciless terrorists," he said. "The media has contributed to the shaping of a misled public opinion that made it possible to involve Western nations in an unjust war against us, as has been the case in Iraq."

This Palestinian- European invaders conflict is none of our business.

Why should God-Neglected Americans workd day and night to pay tax to the government?

Why should NON-AMERICANS chosen by a RACIST, UNJUST and ANTI-AMERICAN GOD be allowed to take more then $3 Billion a year from the US TAX MONEY to buy HATRED, TERRORISM and 9/11 against GOD-NEGLECTED AMERICANS and UNHOLY LAND "UNITED STATES".

It doesn''t matter whatever I say. The Psychotic Christian enemies of America would not care about America and American interest.

When their god neglected Americans and not promised them a SINGLE PENNY, and CHOSE NON-AMERICANS and promised them a land in the Middle East, are they going to be better then their god.

When a NON-AMERICAN LAND is their HOLY LAND, why they should not sacrifice UNHOLY LAND "UNITED STATES" for that NON-AMERICAN HOLY LAND?
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by guadalcanal3 May 18, 2008 6:02 PM EDT
P.S...The way I see it is until we have proof of his death (Bin laden) aka "physical evidence" we cannot say that he is dead.
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by guadalcanal3 May 18, 2008 5:59 PM EDT
Ranger1948...reg....prinzowhales''s source of information: Probably Michael Moore or any other maker up of ''myths'' that only gullable or angry people want to believe in...I think it makes them think that they are ''smart'' or something.
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by minnick8-2009 May 18, 2008 5:36 PM EDT
Quoted from the article:
"On the other hand, they portrayed the Palestinians, who are claiming back their lands, as merciless terrorists," he said. "The media has contributed to the shaping of a misled public opinion that made it possible to involve Western nations in an unjust war against us, as has been the case in Iraq."

Well, if we send everyone out of every land who is an unjust invader, nearly everyone on earth would be a refugee on the move. All Irish should go back to Ireland, all Scots back to Scotland, all Germans back to Germany, all English back to England. No one would be in Australia except the Aboriginees, and maybe not them, since I think they originally came out of Africa. Actually, if the DNA evidence and theory of the single female mother of all originiting in Africa is true, them we should all just congregate in Africa. I don''t think I would like to live there. I like it much better where I am at.
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by minnick8-2009 May 18, 2008 5:25 PM EDT
Truthyness,

You go! I love it that Clinton and Obama have spent all these months picking apart each other''s shortcomings and dividing the Democrats. I think Clinton is still in the race to split the party and throw the election to McCain. That way, she will be in a stronger position to run again in four years. We will see her out campaigning agin--hard, in two years. Thank you, thank you, Clinton and Obama.
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