New message from Osama bin Laden

Mon Sep 14 2009 11:58:43

Osama bin Laden has vowed to continue fighting the US if the country maintains close ties with Israel.

The al-Qaeda leader posted an 11-minute message to the American people on a website used by Islamic fundamentalists.

Bin Laden said: "The time has come for you to liberate yourselves from fear and the ideological terrorism of neo-conservatives and the Israeli lobby.

"The reason for our dispute with you is your support for your ally Israel, occupying our land in Palestine."

He said there had been no real change in American policy because US President Barack Obama had retained people like Defence Secretary Robert Gates from the administration of former President George W Bush.

In a reference to US operations in Afghanistan, Bin Laden added: "If you stop the war, then fine. Otherwise we will have no choice but to continue our war of attrition on every front."

The leader of the group that mounted the September 11, 2001 attacks on the US is thought to be in hiding in the mountains terrain along the Afghan-Pakistani border

© Independent Television News Limited 2009. All rights reserved.