Wednesday, March 19, 2008 at 1:01am
Bin Laden vows vengeance on EU
Osama bin Laden threatened the European Union with "grave" retribution Wednesday for publication of cartoons mocking Islam's Prophet Mohammad. In an audio recording posted on the Internet coinciding with the birthday of Islam's founder, bin Laden said, "Your publications of these drawings — part of a new crusade in which the Pope of the Vatican had a significant role — is a confirmation from you that the war continues," said the Saudi-born Al-Qaeda leader.
You are "testing Muslims ... the answer will be what you shall see and not what you hear." It was bin Laden's first message since Nov. 29. The message also coincides with the fifth anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, Reuters reported Wednesday.
Bin Laden said the publication of the cartoons was a graver offence than the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan. "This is the bigger catastrophe ... for which the punishment is graver," he said.
The cartoons were first published by the Danish daily Jyllands-Posten in September 2005 but other newspapers reprinted them in 2006. On Feb. 13 several Danish newspapers published one of the cartoons in solidarity with the cartoonist after three men were arrested for allegedly planning to kill him.
You are "testing Muslims ... the answer will be what you shall see and not what you hear." It was bin Laden's first message since Nov. 29. The message also coincides with the fifth anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, Reuters reported Wednesday.
Bin Laden said the publication of the cartoons was a graver offence than the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan. "This is the bigger catastrophe ... for which the punishment is graver," he said.
The cartoons were first published by the Danish daily Jyllands-Posten in September 2005 but other newspapers reprinted them in 2006. On Feb. 13 several Danish newspapers published one of the cartoons in solidarity with the cartoonist after three men were arrested for allegedly planning to kill him.