Bin Laden rebukes American 'sinners gripped by fear'

8.45 am - By ANDREW BUNCOMBE

WASHINGTON - In an astonishing riposte to the United States and its coalition of allies, Osama bin Laden this morning appeared in a taped television broadcast in which he said Americans were sinners and that their country was gripped by fear.

Dressed in battle fatigues, an Afghan headdress and with an AK-47 assault rifle propped close by, Mr bin Laden condemned US policies in the Middle East and said the air strikes against Afghanistan represented a "war on Islam".

Apparently composed and pointing a finger to stress various points, he praised God for the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington in which almost 7,000 people were killed.

"America was hit by God in one of its softest spots," Mr bin Laden said in Arabic, flanked by two aides.

"America is full of fear from its north to its south, from its west to its east. Thank God for that. Our nation has been tasting fear, hatred and injustices for years."

The video was broadcast just hours after the attacks on various sites across Afghanistan but it seemed to have been taped before the strikes were launched.

"The whole world is shouting - innocent children are killed every day in Iraq without any guilt," said Mr bin Laden. "We never hear any fatwa. We see the Israeli tanks going to Jenin, Beit Jala and we never hear anybody reacting to that. In the whole world has been crying for those criminals who were attacked? They supported the murders against the victims so God has given them what they deserved.

"Millions of innocent children are being killed in Iraq and in Palestine and we don't hear a word from the infidels. We don't hear a raised voice. When the sword falls on the United States, they cry for their children and they cry for their people. The least you can say about these people is that they are sinners. They have helped evil triumph over good."

The broadcast on the Al-Jazeera network in Qatar was of a tape said to have been recorded by bin Laden yesterday. The recording appeared to have been made during daylight hours – suggesting that it was taped before the US and Britain launched their attacks at 5.30 this morning (NZ time). The video was filmed in what appeared to be cave.

Reports from the Taleban said that neither bin Laden nor the Taleban spiritual leader Mullah Mohammed Omar had been killed by the waves of cruise missile strikes. In lines that strangely echoed US President George Bush’s comments that nations had to decide whether they were "with us or with the terrorists", Mr bin Laden said the attacks on Afghanistan had split the world.

"I say these events have split the whole world into two camps, the camp of belief and the camp of disbelief.

"Every Muslim should support his religion.

"To the United States, I say , I swear by God the Great that the United States will never taste security and safety unless we feel security and safety in our land of Palestine."

The video broadcast by the independent TV network that has been carrying a series of exclusives relating to Osama bin Laden, started with a statement read by one of his aides, Suleiman Abu Gheit.

"What happened in the United States is a natural reaction to the ignorant policy of the United States," it said.

"It if continues with this policy the sons of Islam will not stop their struggle. The American people have to know that what is happening to them now is the result of their support of this policy. "The war against Afghanistan and Osama bin Laden is a war on Islam."

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INDEPENDENT