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October 7, 2001,
Reuters News Service
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates --
Following is the text of a videotaped statement made by Saudi-born
dissident Osama bin Laden and broadcast on Qatar-based al-Jazeera
television today. It has been translated from Arabic:
"Here is America struck by God
Almighty in one of its vital organs, so that its greatest buildings are
destroyed. Grace and gratitude to God. America has been filled with horror
from north to south and east to west, and thanks be to God that what
America is tasting now is only a copy of we have tasted.
"Our Islamic nation has been
tasting the same for more 80 years, of humiliation and disgrace, its sons
killed and their blood spilled, its sanctities desecrated.
"God has blessed a group of
vanguard Muslims, the forefront of Islam, to destroy America. May God
bless them and allot them a supreme place in heaven, for He is the only
one capable and entitled to do so. When those have stood in defence of
their weak children, their brothers and sisters in Palestine and other
Muslim nations, the whole world went into an uproar, the infidels followed
by the hypocrites.
"A million innocent children are
dying at this time as we speak, killed in Iraq without any guilt. We hear
no denunciation, we hear no edict from the hereditary rulers. In these
days, Israeli tanks rampage across Palestine, in Ramallah, Rafah and Beit
Jala and many other parts of the land of Islam, and we do not hear anyone
raising his voice or reacting. But when the sword fell upon America after
80 years, hypocrisy raised its head up high bemoaning those killers who
toyed with the blood, honour and sanctities of Muslims.
"The least that can be said about
those hypocrites is that they are apostates who followed the wrong path.
They backed the butcher against the victim, the oppressor against the
innocent child. I seek refuge in God against them and ask Him to let us
see them in what they deserve.
"I say that the matter is very
clear. Every Muslim after this event (should fight for their religion),
after the senior officials in the United States of America starting with
the head of international infidels, (U.S. President George W.) Bush and
his staff who went on a display of vanity with their men and horses, those
who turned even the countries that believe in Islam against us -- the
group that resorted to God, the Almighty, the group that refuses to be
subdued in its religion.
"They (America) have been telling
the world falsehoods that they are fighting terrorism. In a nation at the
far end of the world, Japan, hundreds of thousands, young and old, were
killed and (they say) this is not a world crime. To them it is not a clear
issue. A million children (were killed) in Iraq, to them this is not a
clear issue.
"But when a few more than 10 were
killed in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam, Afghanistan and Iraq were bombed and
hypocrisy stood behind the head of international infidels, the modern
world's symbol of paganism, America, and its allies.
"I tell them that these events have
divided the world into two camps, the camp of the faithful and the camp of
infidels. May God shield us and you from them.
"Every Muslim must rise to defend
his religion. The wind of faith is blowing and the wind of change is
blowing to remove evil from the Peninsula of Mohammad, peace be upon him.
"As to America, I say to it and its
people a few words: I swear to God that America will not live in peace
before peace reigns in Palestine, and before all the army of infidels
depart the land of Mohammad, peace be upon him.
"God is the Greatest and glory be
to Islam."
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