Bin Laden Calls on Muslims to Support Iraq
Tuesday, February 11, 2003
DOHA, Qatar — Usama bin Laden called on Muslims throughout the world to unite behind Iraq Tuesday in an audiotape broadcast on Al-Jazeera satellite TV.
Earlier in the day, Secretary of State Colin Powell told a Senate committee that the audiotape would be aired, and that the voice on the recording is believed to be that of bin Laden, the Al Qaeda mastermind who has been in hiding since the Sept. 11 terror attacks.
"We would like to confirm at this time the lies of America and their allies and what they are trying to do. We want you to be faithful in your fight, to believe in your God, the one and only God," bin Laden said on the tape.
"Fight the agents of the Devil, because the Devil will be overcome and defeated. God will give us victory."
Al-Jazeera's chief editor, Ibrahim Hilal, said the 16-minute tape was a message to Iraqis to remain steadfast in the face of a potential American attack.
Yasser Thabet, a broadcast editor, said the tape appears to be authentic because the television station got it through the same means as previous bin Laden statements. He did not elaborate.
"When you listen to the tape, you can tell it's Usama bin Laden's voice," Thabet said.
Ahead of the broadcast, a headline at the bottom of the screen during regular programming read, "Al Qaeda leader Usama bin Laden calls on all Muslims to unite to defend the Iraqi people, in an audio message Al-Jazeera will broadcast later."
Hilal said that on the tape, bin Laden urged Muslims not to cooperate with the U.S against Iraq, saying any Muslim who cooperates with America against another Muslim is an apostate.
He said the station was not sure it would air all of the tape, saying the quality was not very good.
Powell had said he read a transcript of "what bin Laden -- or who we believe to be bin Laden" was to say on al-Jazeera, "where once again he speaks to the people of Iraq and talks about their struggle and how he is in partnership with Iraq."
The last Bin Laden tape aired on Nov. 12 on al-Jazeera. Bin Laden, in the statement, promised new terrorist attacks.