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Following are excerpts from an audio-tape by Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, which aired on Al-Jazeera TV on October 27, 2010. Shortly after the airing of bin Laden's message on Al-Jazeera TV, a message appeared on the Shumukh Al-Islam jihadi web forum informing the forum members about it; however, a different picture of bin Laden was used in that message.
The complimentary full text of this report is made available from the MEMRI Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM).
To view this clip on MEMRI TV, visit http://www.memrijttm.org/content/en/clip.htm?clip=2656¶m=APT.
Osama bin Laden: "To start with, let me tell you [the French]: The capture of your experts in Niger, who are under the protection of your proxy there, was a response to your oppression of our Muslim nation. How can you possibly take part in the occupation of our lands, and support the Americans in the killing of our women and children, yet expect to live in peace and security? How can you possibly interfere in the matters of the Muslims, especially in North Africa and in West Africa, support your proxies against us, plunder many of our resources in dubious deals, while our people there suffer all kinds of misery and poverty? [...]
"Since you have acted tyrannically, believing that you have the right to prevent free-born women from wearing the veil, don't we have the right to expel your invading men by striking their necks? Of course we do.
"The equation is simple and clear: As you kill, so shall you be killed, as you abduct, so shall you be abducted, as you ruin our security, so shall we ruin your security, and the fault lies with the one who initiates [the hostilities].
The way to protect your security is to end all your offenses and their effects on our nation. One of the most important things is for you to withdraw from Bush's accursed war in Afghanistan. It is high time that the so-called direct and indirect colonialism come to an end. You should consider the state to which the U.S. has deteriorated as a result of this unjust war. It has reached the verge of bankruptcy in all the major areas, and soon, it will go back beyond the Atlantic Ocean, Allah willing.
"Happy is he who learns from the lessons of others, and peace be upon those who follow the guidance."
