Bin Laden says Palestinians' cause at heart of terror fight

May 17, 2008|Associated Press

CAIRO - Osama bin Laden vowed yesterday to fight Israel for the liberation of the Palestinians, saying their cause is at the heart of Al Qaeda's holy war with the West.

The terrorist leader's third statement this year was released to coincide with the Jewish state's 60th anniversary and came out as President Bush was wrapping up his visit to Israel to celebrate the occasion.

"We will continue our struggle against the Israelis and their allies," bin Laden said in a 10-minute audio posted on an Internet site used frequently by Al Qaeda. "We are not going to give up an inch of the land of Palestine."

Bin Laden said the Palestinian cause is the most important factor driving Al Qaeda's war with the West and contended it was the motivation for the 19 Muslims, most of them Saudi Arabians, who carried out the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the United States.

The authenticity of the message could not be verified, but the voice resembled the one in past bin Laden audios. While there was no indication of when the message was recorded, it referred to Israel's 60th anniversary, which began May 8.

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