Al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden claimed responsibility for the Christmas Day airline bombing attempt in Detroit, in an audio message released yesterday, and vowed further attacks on the US.
The message suggests that bin Laden wants to show he remains in direct command of Al-Qaida's many branches around the world.
In a short recording carried by the Al-Jazeera Arabic news channel, bin Laden addressed US President Barack Obama saying the attack was a message similar to that of Sept 11 and more attacks against the US would be forthcoming.
"America will never dream of security unless we will have it in reality in Palestine," he added. "God willing, our raids on you will continue as long as your support for the Israelis continues."
On Christmas Day, Nigerian national Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab attempted to blow up the Northwest Airlines flight he was sitting on as it approached Detroit Metro Airport. But the bomb he was hiding in his underwear failed to explode.
He told federal agents shortly afterward that he had been trained and instructed in the plot by Al-Qaida operatives in Yemen.
Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula originally took credit for the attack, but by issuing this message, bin Laden seems to be indicating that he himself is ordering attacks, rather than just putting his seal of approval on events afterward.
Analysts had previously suggested that Al-Qaida's offshoots in North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula and elsewhere were operated independently from bin Laden, who is believed to be somewhere in the Afghan-Pakistan border region.
There was no way to confirm the voice was actually that of bin Laden, but it resembled previous recordings attributed to him.
The last public message from bin Laden appears to have been on Sept 26, when he demanded that European countries pull their troops out of Afghanistan. The order came in an audiotape that also warned of "retaliation" against nations that are allied with the United States in fighting the war.
Questions:
1. What was Bin Laden supposedly claiming responsibility for?
2. What is the name of the network which broadcast the audio?
3. When was the last supposed message from Bin laden?
Answers:
1. Christmas day bomb plot.
2. Al Jazeera.
3. Sept 26.
(中国日报网英语点津 Helen 编辑)
About the broadcaster:
Lee Hannon is Chief Editor at China Daily with 15-years experience in print and broadcast journalism. Born in England, Lee has traveled extensively around the world as a journalist including four years as a senior editor in Los Angeles. He now lives in Beijing and is happy to move to China and join the China Daily team.