A STATEMENT said to be from Osama bin Laden has urged Muslims to stop
fighting among themselves and unite against a "crusader coalition"
attacking the Islamic world.
The London-based Arab newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat has published excerpts of a
26-page statement, which it claimed was written and signed by bin Laden,
leader of the al-Qaeda terror group.
The journalist who wrote the accompanying article, Mohamed el-Shaf'aie,
said the statement was mailed to the paper from an Islamic source in London
with close links to a Pakistan-based Islamic research centre, known for its
ties to al-Qaeda.
The letter attributed to bin Laden said: "The current situation Muslims are
living in requires a deployment of all efforts to fight the Islamic battle
against the crusader coalition, which has revealed its real, evil intentions.
"Their target now is Islam and Muslims and not only the (Middle East) region."
The letter did not mention any nation, but earlier statements attributed to
bin Laden and other al-Qaeda leaders have accused the United States and
Israel of launching a religious crusade against the Muslim world.
No al-Qaeda affiliated websites immediately published the latest statement.
In the excerpts published by Asharq Al-Awsat it urged Muslims to "wake from
their deep sleep ... and stop (acting as) rivals and fire their arrows
toward their enemies instead of themselves".
It was not clear who the letter referred to, but feuds and disputes are
common within the volatile Middle East.
The statement's author said he was "surprised by the many different
controversies and feuds among Muslims in general and those working for
Islam in particular".
"Such a dangerous phenomenon has become the only thing Islamic-oriented
factions agree upon."
The letter also defended al-Qaeda leaders over unspecified mistakes.
"The honour of righteous men should be protected despite whatever faults
they may commit," the letter said without elaborating.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,5860003%255E401,00.html
Let me guess the main fault...poor security culture?
On this web site the organisation provides a simple guide to downloading
and using OpenPGP cryptography software, an application that guarantees the
confidentiality of e-mails. http://www.openpgp.org/
Visit the website of OpenPGP and download the software
