Osama bin Laden Urges Jihad Against Israel

With the recent Israeli offensive in Gaza as the backdrop, Osama bin Laden has crawled out of his cave long enough to record a message urging Muslims to launch a full-scale jihad against Israel. The recording was posted on the Internet yesterday and saw the al-Qaida leader promising to open "new fronts" against the U.S. and its allies. Bin Laden also used the opportunity to criticize various Arab leaders for being in league with the U.S. According to the recording, Bin Laden feels that U.S. President-elect Barack Obama has taken on a "heavy inheritance" from President George W. Bush and, according to bin Laden, the U.S. is unlikely to be able to keep up a continuous fight against his holy warriors, also know as mujahedeen.

Bin Laden went on in the recording, noting that there is "only one strong way to bring the return of Al-Aqsa and Palenstine, and that is jihad in the path of God. The duty is to urge people to jihad and to enlist the youth into jihad brigades." State Department spokesman Sean McCormack, asked about the authenticity of the recording, noted that it had not yet been analyzed, though he gave little reason to doubt that it was an authentic recording of bin Laden. Gordon Johndroe, spokesman for the National Security Council, also noted that, "It appears this tape demonstrates his isolation and continued attempts to remain relevant at a time when al-Qaida’s ideology, mission and agenda are being questions and challenged throughout the world."

Bin Laden, who after the September 11 attacks on the U.S., promised that al-Qaida was ready to fight "for seven more years, and seven more after that, then sever more" also hit on that theme in the new recording, rhetorically asking, "The question is, can America continue the war against us for several more decades? The reports and signs show us otherwise." Speaking specifically of President-elect Obama’s role, bin Laden noted, "If he withdraws from the war, it is a military defeat. If he continues, he drowns in economic crisis."