The leader of al Qaeda in Saudi Arabia Tuesday vowed that 2004 will be the year of attacks against Americans, according to an Islamist website.
The voice purporting to be that of Abdulaziz al Muqrin was recorded on an audio tape available through a link on the website.
Al Muqrin urged Muslims to avoid US civilian and military sites and added that rulers are incapable of protecting American interests.
"The Jews, the Americans and crusaders in general will remain the targets of our coming attacks and this year, God willing, will be fiercer and harsher for them," the voice on the tape said.
The man called on Americans to leave the Arabian peninsula and on Washington to withdraw its troops and bases from Islamic states and end its occupation of Islamic land and its support of Israel.
But the tape denied that al Qaeda was behind last week's bombing of a Riyadh security office.
The voice said: "We are not responsible for the bombing of the emergency security building in Riyadh although we believe it is an expected result of the infidel, unjust and oppressive policy of the apostates (Saudi rulers) who spread corruption and diverted the country' resources and capabilities to the Christian-Jewish alliance." (Albawaba.com)
© 2004 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
