Bin Laden in his own words

Not all messages purporting to be from Bin Laden can be authenticated. Dates given in bold following each excerpt indicate authenticity of the excerpt has been confirmed. The other dates relate to messages attributed to Bin Laden.

The United States

• We say that the end of the United States is imminent, whether Bin Laden or his followers are alive or dead, for the awakening of the Muslim umma [nation] has occurred. (28 Dec 01)

• The aggressor [the US] deserves punishment. (6 Oct 02)

• Do your governments not know that the White House gangsters are the biggest butchers of this age? (12 Nov 02)

• I tell the American people: God willing, we will continue to fight you. We will continue the martyrdom operations inside and outside the United States until you end your injustice, abandon your stupidity, and curb your insolent fellows. (18 Oct 03)

11 September 2001 attacks

• Polls showed that the vast majority of the sons of the Islamic world were happy about these strikes because they believe that the strikes were in reaction to the huge criminality practised by Israel and the United States in Palestine and other Muslim countries. (3 Nov 01)

• When you talk about the New York and Washington raids, you talk about those men who changed the course of history and cleansed the chapters of the nation from the filth of the treasonous rulers. (10 Sept 02)

• The confusion caused to the enemy was sufficient to make people wake up from their slumber and rise for jihad for the sake of God. I had the honour of knowing these men. One is honoured by knowing such men. (10 Sept 03)

"I urge you to seek the joy of life and the afterlife and to rid yourself of your dry, miserable and spiritless materialistic life. I urge you to become Muslims"

Israeli-Palestinian conflict

• Those who distinguish between America and Israel are the real enemies of the nation. (3 Nov 01)

• Following World War I, which ended more than 83 years ago, the whole Islamic world fell under the crusader banner - under the British, French, and Italian governments. They divided the whole world, and Palestine was occupied by the British. Since then, and for more than 83 years, our brothers, sons, and sisters in Palestine have been badly tortured. (3 Nov 01)

• The act that horrified the world; that is, the killing of the old, handicapped [Hamas spiritual leader] Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, may God have mercy on him, is sufficient evidence. (15 Apr 04)

The UN

• Under no circumstances should any Muslim or sane person resort to the United Nations. The United Nations is nothing but a tool of crime. We are being massacred everyday, while the United Nations continues to sit idly by. (3 Nov 01)

Europe

• I also offer a reconciliation initiative to them [Europeans], the essence of which is our commitment to stopping operations against every country that commits itself to not attacking Muslims or interfering in their affairs - including the US conspiracy on the greater Muslim world... The peace will start with the departure of its last soldier from our country. The door of reconciliation is open for three months of the date of announcing this statement. (15 Apr 04)

Madrid bombings

• The greatest rule of safety is justice, and stopping injustice and aggression. It was said: Oppression kills the oppressors and the hotbed of injustice is evil. The situation in occupied Palestine is an example. What happened on 11 September [2001] and 11 March [the Madrid train bombings] are your goods returned to you. (15 Apr 04)

Bali bombing

• What do your governments want from their alliance with America in attacking us in Afghanistan? I mention in particular Britain, France, Italy, Canada, Germany and Australia.

  "Why should fear, killing, destruction, displacement, orphaning and widowing continue to be our lot, while security, stability and happiness be your lot? "
  We warned Australia before not to join in [the war] in Afghanistan, and [against] its despicable effort to separate East Timor. It ignored the warning until it woke up to the sounds of explosions in Bali. (12 Nov 02)

Religion

• It is a question of faith, not a war against terrorism, as Bush and Blair try to depict it. (3 Nov 01)

• It has become clear that the West in general and America in particular have an unspeakable hatred for Islam. (28 Dec 01)

• Peace be upon those who follow the right path. I am an honest adviser to you. I urge you to seek the joy of life and the afterlife and to rid yourself of your dry, miserable and spiritless materialistic life. I urge you to become Muslims (6 Oct 02)

Justification for jihad (holy war)

"The well-camouflaged trenches and targets will not be reached by either the smart or the stupid missiles"


• Why should fear, killing, destruction, displacement, orphaning and widowing continue to be our lot, while security, stability and happiness be your lot?

  This is unfair. It is time that we get even.

  You will be killed just as you kill, and will be bombed just as you bomb. (12 Nov 02)

Iraq

• O mujahideen brothers in Iraq, do not be afraid of what the United States is propagating in terms of their lies about their power and their smart, laser-guided missiles... The well-camouflaged trenches and targets will not be reached by either the smart or the stupid missiles.

• Under these circumstances, there will be no harm if the interests of Muslims converge with the interests of the socialists in the fight against the crusaders, despite our belief in the infidelity of socialists. (11 Feb 03)

• America has fallen into the quagmires of the Tigris and Euphrates. Bush thought that Iraq and its oil are easy spoils. Now, he is in a critical situation, praise be God. Today, America has started to cry out and crumble before the entire world. (18 Oct 03)

• They [the Gulf states] feared that the door would be open for bringing down dictatorial regimes by armed forces from abroad, especially after they had seen the arrest of their former comrade in treason and agentry to the United States when it ordered him to ignite the first Gulf war against Iran, which rebelled against it. (04 Jan 04)

• We must take into consideration that this war brings billions of dollars in profit to the major companies, whether it be those that produce weapons or those that contribute to reconstruction, such as the Halliburton Company... (15 Apr 04)

Gulf States

• It has become clear that the rulers are not qualified to apply the religion and defend the Muslims. In fact, they have provided evidence that they are implementing the schemes of the enemies of the nation and religion and that they are qualified to abandon the countries and peoples. (04 Jan 04)