Source: bin Laden Denies Involvement
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Wednesday September 12 12:29 PM ET
Source: bin Laden Denies Involvement
Source: bin Laden Denies Involvement
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) - Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden
congratulated the people who carried out the deadly terrorist
strikes in the United States, but denied Wednesday that he was
involved, a Palestinian journalist said.
``Osama bin Laden thanked Almighty Allah and bowed before him
when he heard this news,'' Jamal Ismail, Abu Dhabi Television's
bureau chief in Islamabad, said, quoting a close aide of bin
Laden's. Ismail said the aide, whom he wouldn't identify by name,
called him early Wednesday on a satellite telephone from a hide-out
in Afghanistan.
Bin Laden praised the people who carried out the attacks in
Washington and New York, Ismail said, quoting the aide. ``But he
had no information or knowledge about the attack'' ahead of time,
Ismail said.
The journalist has long-standing ties with Bin Laden and has won
rare interviews with him several times over the last few years.
In a series of coordinated attacks Tuesday, terrorists crashed
two airlines into the World Trade Center in New York, and a third
plane slammed into the Pentagon in Washington. A fourth one crashed
in Pennsylvania.
Bin Laden is a key suspect in the bombing of two U.S. embassies
in East Africa in August 1998 that killed 224 people, including 12
U.S. citizens.
Washington wants bin Laden to be tried for the bombing, but
Afghanistan's ruling Taliban militia rulers have refused to hand
him over, despite tough U.N. sanctions against the Taliban.
The Taliban government calls bin Laden their guest and a hero of
Islam.
The aide said that bin Laden has described the devastation in
the United States as ``a punishment from Allah,'' Ismail said. The
United States had invited Allah's wrath because it is trying to
control the entire world by force, Ismail said, quoting the aide.
``There are thousands of Muslims who have vowed for jehad (or a
holy war) and martyrdom,'' according to bin Laden's aide. ``They
have experience to fight with all sorts of weapons.''
The aide also denied reports of bin Laden's deteriorating
health, according to Ismail, saying: ``These are all false reports.
He is well and strong.''
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