Doha Time
 
Dubai, May 20: Osama bin Laden will issue a “very strong” statement to Muslims across the world soon, an Islamist website said yesterday.

“A very strong statement to the Islamic nation by the lion of Islam sheikh Osama bin Laden,” read a banner posted on the Al Qaeda-linked website.

The website said the statement would be issued “soon”, without giving further details. Such messages usually appear within 72 hours.

In his latest message, posted on Friday to mark Israel’s 60th anniversary, bin Laden vowed to continue fighting the Jewish state and its allies in the West. In a message on March 20, he urged Muslims to maintain the struggle against US forces in Iraq as a path toward “liberating Palestine”.

Al Qaeda has vowed attacks on Jews both inside and outside Israel and regularly expresses support for the Palestinians.

Al Qaeda says it seeks to punish Washington and its allies for bias toward Israel at the expense of Muslims’ interests and their “crusades” in Muslim countries – the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.