Bin Laden letter urges Islamic groups to unite

CAIRO, Egypt -- A statement purportedly written by Osama bin Laden urges Muslims to stop fighting each other and unite against the "crusader coalition" that is attacking the Islamic world, according to excerpts published Sunday in a London-based Arab newspaper.

Asharq Al-Awsat printed portions of a 26-page statement it claims was written and signed by bin Laden, leader of the al-Qaida terror group.

The letter did not mention any nation, but earlier statements attributed to bin Laden and other al-Qaida leaders have accused the United States and Israel of launching a religious crusade against the Muslim world.

The journalist who wrote the article, Mohamed el-Shaf'aie, told The Associated Press on Sunday that the statement was mailed to the paper from an Islamic source in London with close links to a Pakistan-based Islamic research center known for its ties to al-Qaida.

The letter attributed to bin Laden says, "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 added.

America has come under attack throughout the Islamic world for a perceived bias toward Israel in the Jewish state's conflict with the Palestinians, and for the U.S. threat to attack Iraq if it retains weapons banned by the United Nations.

The U.S.-led war in Afghanistan, launched after the Sept. 11 terror attacks in the United States, and U.S. detention of hundreds of men with suspected links to al-Qaida and Afghanistan's previous Taliban rulers have compounded the view in the Islamic world that Washington is attacking Muslims.

The United States denies such claims.

Despite numerous written, audio and videotaped statements attributed to bin Laden after the launch of the Afghanistan war, it is unclear where the Saudi-born Islamic extremist is or if he is still alive.

No al-Qaida affiliated web sites immediately published the latest statement, which normally happens whenever one appears.

The statement excerpts published by Asharq Al-Awsat urge 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 defends al-Qaida leaders for unspecified mistakes. "The honor of righteous men should be protected despite whatever faults they may commit," the letter said without elaborating.

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On the Net:

Asharq Al-Awsat, http://www.asharqalawsat.com