Cairo, Egypt — A signed statement allegedly from Osama bin Laden claimed Monday that recent attacks in Yemen and Kuwait were designed to coincide with the anniversary of the war in Afghanistan and to send a "clear and strong message" to the world that his al-Qaida organization was still active.
The statement, which was faxed to the Al-Jazeera network and posted on an Islamic Web site, appeared to have been written on a computer, using an Arabic font that looks like handwriting. The signature at the bottom is similar to bin Laden's. Still, there was no way to authenticate the statement.
Monday's statement accused the United States of occupying Afghanistan and planning a war in Iraq in order to conquer the Muslim world. It praised two Kuwaitis who opened fire on U.S. Marines as brothers-in-arms with the Sept. 11 hijackers.
"America is getting ready for a new round of its crusade against the Islamic world, this time ... against the Muslim Iraqi people, aiming at completing its plan to divide the Islamic nation and tear it apart, looting its wealth, and preparing for establishing the state of greater Israel after expelling the Palestinians."
A copy faxed to Al-Jazeera on Monday was nearly identical to one posted on an Islamic Web site. It was addressed to "the Islamic nation, on the one-year anniversary of the beginning of the American new crusade war."
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