'Bin Laden' attacks US military failures

Following are extracts from a reported statement by Osama bin Laden praising last week's anti-Western attacks in Kuwait and Yemen.

"America is now preparing a new stage in its crusade against the Islamic world, this time against the Muslim Iraqi people, to divide and rupture the [Muslim] nation.

"America failed to kill or capture any of the Taliban or al-Qa'ida leadership or other mujahedin leadership. America failed to deliver its promise of uniting Afghanistan and forming a unified army to end control of militias.

"Regarding human rights, the best example given by the American campaign was burning hundreds of shackled prisoners in Mazar-i-Sharif ... and killing thousands of prisoners in death containers.

"The invading forces in Afghanistan have started to drown in the Afghan mire. It is odd that these crusader troops came to protect the regime in Kabul from jihad fighters and now need to be defended by the regime.

"The US occupation of Afghanistan will not have a better ending than that of the Soviet occupation, with God's will. America sees this and seeks to draw attention away from that failure by sounding the drums of war against Iraq.

"We shall not rest or retire. The mujahedin, with the grace of God, are keeping their vow to God to fight for his sake and to liberate the nation.

"Ye nation of Islam ... whether this whole nation is targeted, without distinguishing between allies or foes, is no longer an issue. The issue now is, how do we face this flagrant aggression?

"If we want God to grant us victory ... we should arm ourselves with several tools, including a return to God through repentance, honest work and true intentions, [and] to unite under God. If it is true that conflict and differences are the main reasons for failure ... it is true that unity, consensus and faith are the key to victory and the gate to domination."