Bin Laden Speaks On Mutallab, Promises More Attacks

PHOTO: A NEW FBI PHOTO OF WHAT OSAMA BIN LADEN MAY LOOK LIKE TODAY. IMAGE: FBI.

San Francisco Jan 24, (THEWILL) – World’s most wanted terrorist, Osama Bin Laden on Sunday claimed responsibility for Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab’s Christmas Day failed suicide bomb attack of a Detroit-bound Northwest plane.

Bin Laden who spoke in an audiotape broadcast on Sunday called the Nigerian jihadist a “hero” and vowed to continue attacks on the United States. The Al-Qaeda leader is believed to be hiding in the mountains around the Afghan and Pakistani border.

In the message address relayed on Al-Jazeera TV titled: From Osama to US President Barack Obama, Osama said the failed bomb attack was a continuation of the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York City.

"The message sent to you with the attempt by the hero Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab is a confirmation of our previous message conveyed by the heroes of September 11.

"If it was possible to carry our messages to you by words, we wouldn't have carried them to you by planes.

"Our attacks against you will continue as long as U.S. support for Israel continues. It is not fair that Americans should live in peace as long as our brothers in Gaza live in the worst conditions."

The White House through its adviser, David Axelrod said he could not confirm the authenticity of the tape. Speaking on CNN he said, “Assuming that it is him, his message contains the same hollow justifications for the mass slaughter of innocents that we’ve heard before.” But Abdelbari Atwan, an Arabic newspaper editor who met the leader in 1996 told Reuters "It is Bin Laden’s voice and style."

The United States has encouraged the Yemeni government with arms, intelligence and training to cripple Al Qaeda in that country. Several air raids have been carried out since the failed Mutallab attempt.

Britain has also raised its threat level to "severe" since Friday but the government said it has no intelligence on any imminent threat.