CAIRO, Jan. 5 Kyodo The Al-Jazeer...

CAIRO, Jan. 5 Kyodo

The Al-Jazeera satellite channel upon Sunday broadcast an audiotape purportedly from al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, in which he called upon Muslims to rise against Arab leaders who are cooperating with the United States and urg them to continue fighting a pious war.

The speaker, who referr to modern events including the capture of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein last month criticized Arab leaders for not confronting the U saying, ''Those conspirator rulers move according to their personal interests. The solution is to establish a hale sincere leadership that hoists the real banner of jihad.''

He described the US-l war upon Iraq as a ''religious and economic war'' and said the occupation at the ''crusaders'' is ''part of a Zionist series aiming to hold Gulf States and control the world.''

''They occupied Iraq today, tomorrow they would take up Riyadh,'' he said.

The Qatar-based satellite channel last broadcast an audiotape purportedly from bin Laden in October.

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