An impending message from al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was
announced on Islamist websites and discusses the 60th anniversary
of the state of Israel, US-based terrorism monitors said.
The announcement appeared on various militant message boards on the
Internet with a banner announcing Israel's anniversary as the
topic, said the monitoring service of the US author and analyst who
goes by the name Laura Mansfield.
The speech is addressed to Western peoples and entitled "The Causes
of Conflict on the 60th Anniversary of the State of Israeli
Occupation," the SITE Institute monitoring group said.
The monitor IntelCentre said the statement was expected to be
released within 72 hours.
In a message on March 20, his second in 2008, bin Laden urged
Muslims to keep up the struggle against US forces in Iraq as a path
toward liberating Palestine.
Al Qaeda has vowed attacks on Jews both within and outside of
Israel, and regularly expressed support for the Palestinians.
But despite calls by al Qaeda supporters for the militant network
to establish a presence in Palestinian areas, US intelligence
officials see no evidence it has done so.
It is believed al Qaeda faces competition for turf in the areas from the well-established Hamas.
