Bin Ladin renews jihad call
Monday 05 January 2004, 0:25 Makka Time, 21:25 GMT
Usama bin Ladin mentions the recent capture of Saddam
In his latest recorded message, Usama bin Ladin condemns Middle Eastern governments for betraying Arab and Muslim causes and urges his coreligionists to resist the West.
In an audio message broadcast exclusively by Aljazeera late on Sunday night, the al-Qaida leader urges Muslims to continue jihad against what he described as "conspirators against Muslim nations".
He harshly criticises Arab governments for failing to resist US military and diplomatic moves in the Middle East as well as making compromises in their support of the Palestinian national cause.
Bin Ladin makes reference to the 14 November capture of ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, suggesting the recording was made quite recently.
He refers in particular to the occupation of Iraq, the US-backed "road map" for settling the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as well as the alternative Geneva peace plan between the Palestinians and the Israelis.
Arab rulers scorned
Bin Ladin harshly attacks rulers of Arabian Gulf countries and scorns their ability to repulse any possible US attack on their countries.
Al-Qaida leader calls for Arab and Muslim leaders to be overthrown
He also criticises what he describes as the persecution by certain "outlaw" regimes of their citizens.
The al-Qaida leader goes on to condemn Muslim rulers' inability to stand up to the US, criticising their compromises with reference to Palestinian cause.
He attacks what he calls their "stand against Palestinian resistance as took place at the Sharm al-Sheikh summit in 1996 (an anti-terrorism summit), and at the Beirut Arab summit (2002)".
Bin Ladin criticises certain countries for "stopping financial aid to the families of Palestinian martyrs", meaning human bombers. He also rejects the US-backed road map peace plan, which stipulates an end to armed resistance against Israeli occupation.
The al-Qaida chief also attacks the six Arab states of the Gulf Cooperation Council for welcoming members of Iraq's US-installed transitional Governing Council.
Regime change
Dismissing the economic achievements of the Arab world, bin Ladin says Spain's economy alone is much larger than that of all the Arab countries put together.
He blames the decline of Arabs and Muslims on their negligence of Islam as a system of government and state, and calls on Muslims to establish a council of wise men to rule after the overthrow of all regimes in the Arab and Muslim world.
The former mujahidin commander in Afghanistan says such a council will unify Muslims and Arab positions and raise the banner of jihad to stop what he calls the West's attacks against Muslims.
Bin Ladin also criticises moves to change educational curricula in Muslim countries, and warns of a religious and economic war by the West aimed at dominating other Gulf countries after the occupation of Iraq.