Bin Laden: 'Blood for Blood'

(NEWSER) - A tape recording attributed to Osama bin Laden supports the Palestinian cause and says some Arab leaders have “conspired” with the US and Israel against it, CNN reports. “The Gaza holocaust is a historic event and a tragic turning point,” says the tape, aired on the Al-Jazeera network. “The road of returning to Al-Aqsa needs righteous leadership,” referring to the mosque in Jerusalem, the third holiest Muslim site. More»

Deputy touts his health on internet

(NEWSER) - Seven years after 9/11, Osama bin Laden is alive and well, according to his deputy. "Sheik Osama bin Laden is in good health. The ill-intentioned always try to circulate false reports about him being sick," said Ayman al-Zawahiri in a 104-minute recording posted on the internet. The comments were in response to questions from the public solicited by web sites linked to al-Qaeda. More»

Rice pitches strategy to help contain Iran

(NEWSER) - More than $43 billion in US military aid is earmarked for the Middle East, Reuters reports, part of a strategy to fight terrorism and counterbalance Iran. The outlays, which require congressional approval, include $13 billion to Egypt, $30 billion to Israel, and an unspecified amount to Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf states, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced today. More»

Attempt to start Al-Qaeda cell in Iraq dates to 2005

(NEWSER) - Osama bin Laden attempted to launch a terrorist cell in Iraq through which Al-Qaeda could attack the US, President Bush said today. The newly declassified information fleshed out a 2005 Homeland Security alert that Bin Laden directed Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, then his top man in Iraq, to organize the unit as part of what he called a "war of destiny." More»

Bin Laden search finds money trail leading from various sources

(NEWSER) - A stepped-up CIA effort to hunt down Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan hasn't succeeded in locating the terrorist, the LA Times reports, but it has uncovered evidence that cash is being funneled from Iraq to keep Al Qaeda alive and well. "Iraq is a big moneymaker for them," a senior U.S. counter-terrorism official told the Times. More»