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THE
UNRELEASED INTERVIEW
WITH USAMAH BIN LADEN
21st October 2001
Part
1
Part
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4
A
Discussion on the New Crusader Wars
Tayseer Allouni with Usamah bin Laden
This
interview was obtained from Markaz
Derasat and translated by 'Muawiya Ibn Abi Sufyan'
Source: http://www.islamicawakening.com/
We thank Islamic
Awakening for granting permission to use and display material
from their website (the following text comes entirely from
that that website, including the introduction).
The following
interview is approximately one hour long and has been conducted
outdoors on October 21st, 2001 in a tent by the Kabul correspondent
of Al-Jazeera,
Tayseer Allouni, who has been stationed there with his family
for about 2 years, making him the only TV reporter with broadcast
access to be allowed on the streets of Kabul and Kandahar.
It should be also noted that he is the only journalist to
have met with Commander Mullah `Umar, Shaykh Usamah bin Laden
and many other talibs. He is originally from Syria, but presently
living in Spain.
This was
translated because it is a real goldmine for the ones who
want to understand the Mujaahideen's political and religious
way of thinking. It is a shame that Al-Jazeera refused to
air this, for dull reasons which won't escape the attentive
reader. Out of all of the footage released after September
11th, this interview is the one piece of footage to receive
the least amount of attention. It was never shown in full,
nor talked about in great depth. In a brief 5-minute story
bit on this interview, CNN quoted the following [exact translation
they used]:
*
"The battle has moved to inside America. We will continue
this battle, God permitting, until victory or until we meet
God."
* "I tell you, freedom and human rights in America
are doomed. The U.S. government will lead the American people
and the West in general into an unbearable hell and a choking
life."
* "America has made many accusations against us and
many other Muslims around the world. Its charge that we
are carrying out acts of terrorism is unwarranted."
* "If inciting people to do that is terrorism, and
if killing those who kill our sons is terrorism, then let
history be witness that we are terrorists."
* "These diseases are a punishment from God and a response
to oppressed mothers prayers in Lebanon, Iraq, Palestine
and everywhere."
* "We kill the kings of the infidels, kings of the
crusaders and civilian infidels in exchange for those of
our children they kill. This is permissible in Islamic law
and logically." ... "So we kill their innocents,
and I say it is permissible in Islamic law and logic."
* "They made hilarious claims. They said that Osama's
messages have codes in them to the terrorists. It's as if
we were living in the time of mail by carrier pigeon, when
there were no phones, no travellers, no Internet, no regular
mail, no express mail and no electronic mail. I mean, these
are very humorous things. They discount people's intellects."
* "We believe that the defeat of America is posible,
with the help of God, and is even easier for us -- God permitting
-- than the defeat of the Soviet Union was."
* "Our brothers, who were here in Afghanistan, tested
them [the Americans], and together with some of the mujahadeen
in Somalia, God granted them victory. America exited dragging
its tails in failure, defeat, and ruin."
*Interview
Begins*
Usamah
bin Laden:
May Allah greet you [hayyakallah].
Tayseer
Allouni: A question that is repeated on the tongues
of a lot of people all around the world: The USA claims
that it has convincing proof of your involvement in the
events of New York and Washington. What is your answer to
that?
UBL:
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. May Allah's Peace
and Blessings be upon Muhammad, his pure family and his noble
Companions.
To
proceed: As
to its description that these acts were terroristic, then
that description is wrong. These young men, whom Allah has
cleared the way for, they have shifted the battle to the heart
of the United States and they have destroyed its most outstanding
[abraz] landmarks, their economic landmarks and their
military landmarks, that being with the grace of Allah [dhalika
fadlu allah]. And they have done this from what we understand,
and we have incited and roused for this [harradna]
before, and it is in self-defense, defense of our brothers
and sons in Palestine and for freeing our holy sites. And
if inciting [tahrid] for this is terrorism, and if
killing the ones that kill our sons is terrorism, then let
history witness that we are terrorists.
TA:
Alright, but Shaykh, those who monitor your speeches and
documents have connected the oath you have given recently,
and you have said word for word: "I swear by Allah
Almighty, Who lifted the sky without effort, that America
will never enjoy safety, until safety becomes a reality
for us living in Palestine." So, it is easy for any
follower of these events to connect between the terrorist
events that happened in New York and Washington and that
previous statement. So what is your opinion on these sayings?
UBL:
Making connections is easy. If it implies that we have incited
for this, then yes, we've been inciting for years, and we
released legal rulings [fataawa] and documents concerning
this issue, and other incitements which were published and
broadcasted in the media. So if they mean, or if you mean,
that there is connection due to the incitement, then that
is true. So we incite, and incitement is appointed [muta`ayyin]
today, and Allah has asked it from the best of humans, the
Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wasallam).
Allah (subhannahu wa ta`aala) said:
"Then
fight O Muhammad (sallallahu `alayhi wasallam) in the
Cause of Allah, you are not tasked (held responsible) except
for yourself, and incite the believers (to fight along with
you), it may be that Allah will restrain the evil might of
the disbelievers. And Allah is Stronger in Might and Stronger
in punishing." [Qur'an (4):84]
And
what He meant as the goal for the disbelievers is fighting
and combat. So that connection is right, that we have incited
and roused for the killing of Americans and Jews. That is
true.
TA:
Alright, Shaykh Usamah bin Laden, the al-Qai`dah Organization
is facing today a state that dominates the world militarily,
politically, and technologically. So with what reason does
the al-Qai`dah Organization, whose material capabilities
don't precisely come close to the capabilities that the
USA has, so with what logic can an organization, like al-Qai`dah,
defeat the USA militarily for example?
UBL:
Alhamdulillah... I say that the battle isn't between
the al-Qai`dah Organization [tanzeem al-Qai`dah] and
the world Crusaders. The battle is between Muslims - the people
of Islam - and the world Crusaders. And that organization,
with the grace of Allah [bifadlillah], used to be with
our Afghan Mujaahideen brothers, and the people used to say
words like this and even stronger: "How could you defeat
the Soviet Empire ?" And at that time, the Soviet Empire
was a force that was very, very strong, which scared the whole
world and NATO used to shake in fear in front of the Soviet
Empire. So where is that strong force that Allah (subhannahu
wa ta`aala) has sent toward us [manna allahu `alayna]
and our Mujaahideen brothers ?
The
Soviet Empire has become - with Allah's grace - a figment
of the imagination [athran ba`da `ayn, lit. traces before
the eye]. Today, there is no more Soviet Empire, it split
into smaller states and Russia is left. So the One (Allah)
who prolonged us with one of His helping Hands and stabilized
us (subhannahu wa ta`aala) to defeat the Soviet Empire,
is capable (subhannahu wa ta`aala) to prolong us again
and to allow us to defeat America on the same land (subhannahu
wa ta`aala), and with the same sayings, and that is the
grace of Allah [waa dhaalika fadlullah] (subhannahu
wa ta`aala). So we believe that the defeat of America
is something achievable - with the permission of Allah (subhannahu
wa ta`aala) - and it is easier on us - with the permission
of Allah (subhannahu wa ta`aala) - than the defeat
of the Soviet Empire previously.
TA:
How do you think it's easy? Why do you think it's easier?
UBL:
We have tried...like our brothers who have engaged in battle
with the Americans, similar to the example in Somalia. We
have not found before a force that can be mentioned. There
is a very huge awe [haala] about America, which it uses to
scare people before it engages the battle. So our brothers
that were here in Afghanistan tried, and Allah has cleared
the path for them with some of the Mujaahideen in Somalia.
So America left, dragging behind the tails of humiliation,
defeat and loss, without turning back for anything [tajurru
athyaal alkhayba wal hazimah wal khusraan laa talwee `alaa
shay'], and it retreated before expected, and it forgot
all that great media hype about the New World Order, and how
it was the master of that order, and that it can do whatever
it pleases. It forgot all those facts, and it picked up its
armies and it retreated in defeat with Allah's grace (subhannahu
wa ta`aala). So we tried combat against the Russians,
from '79 until '89, 10 years - with the grace of Allah (subhannahu
wa ta`aala) - then we continued against the Communists
in Afghanistan. Today we are at the end of the second week,
and what a difference like night and day between both battles
[shattaana shattaana bayna al-ma`rakatayn]. So we implore
Allah (subhannahu wa ta`aala) to prolong us with one
of His helping Hands [yamduduna bimadadin min `indihi]
and to break America, for He is capable of that.
TA:
Alright Shaykh, in connection to the land, you have said
that we will defeat America on this land. Don't you think
that the existance of the al-Qai`dah Organization on the
land of Afghanistan is making the Afghan people pay a high
price?
UBL:
Well, that view is partial and incomplete, and only from one
angle. When we first came to Afghanistan, and when we came
to give victory to the Mujaahideen when the Russians entered,
in 1399H (1979AD), the Saudi government officially asked us
to not enter Afghanistan. Due to my entry to Afghanistan,
and due to my family's closeness to the Saudi governmental
system, a letter arrived commanding Usamah not to enter Afghanistan,
and to stay with the Muhaajireen (immigrants) in Peshawar,
because in case the Russians were to imprison or capture Usamah,
then that would be proof showing Saudi backing of the Mujaahideen
against the Soviet Empire. And during that time, the whole
world shook in fear from the Soviet Empire, and I am not exaggerating
about this prohibition (to enter Afghanistan), so from their
point of view, this seemed damaging to them. They were forced
because of their opinions.
So
when we came to the Afghans during the first time, we endured
what we had to endure, in desire to liven the Islamic self
[li ihyaa' al-nafs al-muslima], and to safekeep the
Muslim children and offspring here, and for victory for the
religion [deen]. And that is a duty on all the Muslims,
not just the Afghans. So if I went, or some of my brothers
that came for jihaad, acted upon this duty, (which is) to
bring victory to our brothers in Palestine, then that does
not mean that Usamah alone has to endure this, but it is a
duty [waajib] on all of the Islamic Nation [ummah]
to endure this, because it is in the Way of Allah [feesabilillah]
and jihaad is designated [muta`ayyin] today on all
of us, on the Afghans and others, and it is true that they
endure, but this is an Islamic duty [waajib shar`i]
and it is a duty for them and others to support this [feesabilillah]....
*Interrupted*
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