Saudi billionaire Osama Bin Laden told supporters he was satisfied by the October 12 attack on the US destroyer USS Cole in Yemen, the Arabic daily al-Hayat reported Saturday.
Quoting "Arab sources close to Bin Laden," the daily said he "had thanked God for the attack," which cost the lives of 17 US marines.
"During a meeting with his followers in Afghanistan, Bin Laden said he was surprised by the impotence of the leaders of Islamist movements which have not taken advantage of the uprising of the Arab peoples to support the Intifada," or uprising against Israel, the paper said.
Bin Laden, wanted in the United States for allegedly masterminding the 1998 US embassy bombings in Africa that killed more than 220 people, is living in Afghanistan as a guest of the ruling Taliban militia.
The daily USA Today said last week that US intelligence had concrete proof that Bin Laden was behind the attack, but several US officials have tried to distance themselves from that report, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has refused to confirm it was pursuing the Bin Laden track – DUBAI (AFP)
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