- DUBAI (Reuters) - An audio
message said to be from fugitive militant Osama bin Laden urged Muslims
Tuesday to fight the United States and Israel and repel any "war of
infidels" against Iraq.
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- The audio tape, broadcast on the al-Jazeera television
network, said suicide attacks were important in fighting for the Muslim
cause, and warned Arab leaders against giving any support to a war against
Iraq.
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- "We are following with great concern the preparations
of the crusaders to launch war on the former capital of Muslims...and to
install a puppet government," the statement said.
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- "Fight these despots. I remind you that victory
comes only from God."
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- U.S. intelligence analysts believed it was bin Laden's
voice on the tape, a U.S. official said.
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- The statement did not express support for Iraqi President
Saddam Hussein -- it said Muslims should support the Iraqi people rather
than the country's government.
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- "The fighting should be in the name of God only,
not in the name of national ideologies, nor to seek victory for the ignorant
governments that rule all Arab states, including Iraq," the statement
said.
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- Earlier this month, Saddam said he had no links with
al Qaeda. Bin Laden has often criticized Saddam in the past.
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- U.S. SAYS BIN LADEN IN LEAGUE WITH SADDAM
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- The United States said the tape was evidence of a partnership
between Iraq and bin Laden's al Qaeda network, blamed for the September
11 attacks on U.S. cities.
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- Secretary of State Colin Powell told the U.S. Senate
Budget Committee earlier Tuesday that he had read a transcript of the tape.
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- Powell told lawmakers they would "be seeing this
as the day unfolds, where once again he speaks to the people of Iraq and
talks about their struggle and how he is in partnership with Iraq."
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- Powell cited this as a reason the United States could
not rely on just containing Iraq with more weapons inspectors and a greater
United Nations presence.
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- "This nexus between terrorists and states that are
developing weapons of mass destruction can no longer be looked away from
and ignored," Powell said.
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- Statements from bin Laden have often been issued shortly
before or after attacks blamed on his al Qaeda network.
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- Commenting on the authenticity of the latest tape, the
U.S. official said: "Those who are familiar with his voice say 'it
sounds a lot like him.' But they have not done technical analysis yet to
know with absolute certainty, but it seems to be."
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- The United States raised its national threat alert level
last week to orange -- the second highest -- citing intelligence reports
of a threat from groups linked to al Qaeda.
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- The United States says it does not know where bin Laden
is, or whether he is alive or dead, after he evaded capture in Afghanistan
in 2001. But U.S. officials said last year an audio recording broadcast
on al-Jazeera in November and purported to be from bin Laden was almost
certainly genuine.
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- The tape was considered the strongest evidence so far
that bin Laden survived the war in Afghanistan.
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- Al-Jazeera has often received audio tapes and statements
said to come from bin Laden, blamed for the September 11 attacks on U.S.
cities. The United States has accused the Arab TV channel of being a mouthpiece
for al Qaeda propaganda.
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