拉登最新录音曝光 称对圣诞炸机事件负责

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 Afghanistan-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.

In the past year, bin Laden's messages have concentrated heavily on the plight of the Palestinians in attempt to rally support across the region.

Many analysts believe that bin Laden is worried about Obama's popularity across the Middle East with his promises to withdraw from Iraq and personal background, so the Al-Qaida leader is focusing on the close US-Israeli relationship.

The suffering of the Palestinians, especially in the blockaded Gaza Strip where 1,400 died during an Israeli offensive there last year, angered many in the Arab world.

Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman, Andy David, dismissed the latest Al-Qaida message and its attempt to link Israel with attacks on the US.

"This is nothing new, he has said this before. Terrorists always look for absurd excuses for their despicable deeds," he said.

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.

昨日，一段据称是基地组织头目奥萨马．本．拉登的最新讲话录音曝光，拉登在其中声称自己对底特律圣诞炸机未遂事件负责，并威胁要对美国发动更多袭击。

从这段录音传递的信息可以看出，本．拉登试图表明他仍是分布在世界各地的基地组织众多分支的直接领导者。

这段简短的录音由阿拉伯半岛电视台新闻频道发布。本·拉登在其中向美国总统贝拉克．奥巴马宣称，圣诞节炸机未遂事件旨在传递与“9·11”恐怖袭击相同的信息，并称基地组织还将对美国发动更多袭击。

他还说：“除非巴勒斯坦地区真正实现和平，否则美国将永无宁日。只要美国继续支持以色列，我们的袭击就不会停止。”

去年圣诞节当天，一名名叫阿卜杜勒．穆塔拉布的尼日利亚男子搭乘美国西北航空公司的航班飞往底特律途中企图炸机未遂。他在飞机即将飞抵底特律机场时试图引爆藏在内裤中的炸弹，但未获成功。

事件发生后不久，穆塔拉布告诉联邦特工人员称他一直接受也门基地组织恐怖分子的培训，并受命执行此次炸机计划。

最初，基地组织阿拉伯半岛分支宣称对炸机未遂事件负责。但本．拉登似乎希望通过发布这段录音表明是他亲自指挥了这次袭击行动，并非只是事后拍板。

分析人士此前指出，基地组织在北非、阿拉伯半岛及其它地区的分支机构独立运转，不受拉登指挥。据称拉登目前藏身于巴基斯坦和阿富汗的交界地区。

目前没有办法验证这段录音中的声音是否为拉登本人，但与之前的拉登录音十分相似。

拉登过去一年通过录音等渠道发布的信息重点关注巴勒斯坦人民的处境，试图在该地区寻求支持。

很多分析人士认为，由于奥巴马承诺从伊拉克撤军及其个人背景等原因，使其在中东地区很受欢迎，这让本．拉登十分担忧，因此这位基地组织头目特别强调了美国和以色列的紧密关系。

去年，以色列对被封锁的加沙地带发动大规模军事打击，导致1400名巴勒斯坦人丧生，此举激怒了阿拉伯世界。

以色列外交部发言人安迪．大卫对拉登传递的信息，及其将以色列和袭击美国联系在一起的意图进行了批驳。

他说：“这是老调重弹。他以前就这样说过。恐怖分子总是为他们的可耻行径寻找荒唐的借口。”

本．拉登上次公开发布录音是在去年9月26日，当时他要求欧洲国家从阿富汗撤军。

Vocabulary:

God willing：如果情况允许的话

operative：a person engaged, employed, or skilled in some branch of work（技工，侦探）

take credit for：宣称为某事负责，称某事为自己所为

put the seal of approval on：批准某事

offshoot：a branch, descendant, or member of a family or social group（分支）