On Saturday, a new audio tape from al-Qaeda leader Osama bin-Laden was released. Speaking to Iraqi fighters, he said in his fifth statement this year and his second in two days, that the Islamic community was depending on them.
"Your Muslim nation is looking for you and praying for your victory. You are their hope after God. You are God's trusted soldiers who will liberate the ummah (the nation) from the serfdom of the crusaders in our countries."
He warned Iraq's Shi'ites that their cities would not be safe from retaliation if what he described as annihilation against Sunnis continued. "It is not possible that many of the people of the south (Shi'ites) violate, alongside America and its allies, (the Sunni cities of) Ramadi, Fallujah, Musol .... that their areas would be safe from retaliation and harm," said the speaker.
He also declared Somalia as the new al-Qaeda theatre to fight against the US. This is the 2nd bin-Laden tape, in a week, to be released.
On Friday, bin Laden paid tribute to slain al-Qaeda in Iraq leader, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. He demanded that President Bush release al-Zarqawi's body to his family and that Jordan allow him to be buried in his homeland.
