Full text of September 2001 Pakistani paper's "exclusive" interview with Usamah Bin-Ladin

Ummat (in Urdu), Karachi, 28 September 2001, pp. 1 and 7.

Ummat's introduction

Kabul: Prominent Arab mojahed
holy warrior Usamah Bin-Ladin has said that he or his al-Qa'idah group
has nothing to do with the 11 September suicidal attacks in Washington
and New York. He said the US government should find the attackers within
the country. In an exclusive interview with daily "Ummat",
he said these attacks could be the act of those who are part of the
American system and are rebelling against it and working for some other
system. Or, Usamah said, this could be the act of those who want to make
the current century a century of conflict between Islam and Christianity.
Or, the American Jews, who are opposed to President Bush ever since the
Florida elections, might be the masterminds of this act. There is also a
great possibility of the involvement of US intelligence agencies, which
need billions of dollars worth of funds every year. He said there is a
government within the government in the United States.

The
secret agencies, he said, should be asked as to who are behind the
attacks. Usamah said support for attack on Afghanistan was a matter of
need for some Muslim countries and compulsion for others. However, he
said, he was thankful to the courageous people of Pakistan who erected a
bulwark before the wrong forces. He added that the Islamic world was
attaching great expectations with Pakistan and, in time of need, "we
will protect this bulwark by sacrificing of lives".

Following is the interview in full detail:


Ummat:
You have been accused of involvement in the attacks in New York and
Washington. What do you want to say about this? If you are not involved,
who might be?

Usamah [Osama bin Laden]: In the name of Allah,
the most beneficent, the most merciful. Praise be to Allah, Who is the
creator of the whole universe and Who made the earth as an abode for
peace, for the whole mankind. Allah is the Sustainer, who sent Prophet
Muhammad for our guidance. I am thankful to the Ummat
Group of Publications, which gave me the opportunity to convey my
viewpoint to the people, particularly the valiant and Momin true Muslim people of Pakistan who refused to believe in lie of the demon.

I have already said that I am not involved in the 11 September attacks
in the United States. As a Muslim, I try my best to avoid telling a
lie. I had no knowledge of these attacks, nor do I consider the killing
of innocent women, children, and other humans as an appreciable act. Islam strictly forbids causing harm to innocent women, children, and other people.

Such
a practice is forbidden ever in the course of a battle. It is the
United States, which is perpetrating every maltreatment on women,
children, and common people of other faiths, particularly the followers
of Islam. All that is going on in Palestine for the last 11 months is sufficient to call the wrath of God upon the United States and Israel.

There
is also a warning for those Muslim countries, which witnessed all these
as a silent spectator. What had earlier been done to the innocent
people of Iraq, Chechnya, and Bosnia?

Only one conclusion could be derived from the indifference of the United States and the West to these acts of terror
and the patronage of the tyrants by these powers that America is an
anti-Islamic power and it is patronizing the anti-Islamic forces. Its
friendship with the Muslim countries is just a show, rather deceit. By
enticing or intimidating these countries, the United States is forcing
them to play a role of its choice. Put a glance all around and you will
see that the slaves of the United States are either rulers or enemies of
Muslims .

The US has no friends, nor does it want to keep any
because the prerequisite of friendship is to come to the level of the
friend or consider him at par with you. America does not want to see
anyone equal to it. It expects slavery from others. Therefore, other
countries are either its slaves or subordinates.

However, our
case is different. We have pledged slavery to God Almighty alone and
after this pledge there is no possibility to become the slave of someone
else. If we do that, it will be disregardful to both our Sustainer and
his fellow beings. Most of the world nations upholding their freedom are
the religious ones, which are the enemies of United States, or the
latter itself considers them as its enemies. Or the countries, which do
not agree to become its slaves, such as China, Iran, Libya, Cuba, Syria,
and the former Russia as received .

Whoever committed
the act of 11 September are not the friends of the American people. I
have already said that we are against the American system, not against
its people, whereas in these attacks, the common American people have
been killed.

According to my information, the
death toll is much higher than what the US government has stated. But
the Bush administration does not want the panic to spread. The United
States should try to trace the perpetrators of these attacks within
itself; the people who are a part of the US system, but are
dissenting against it. Or those who are working for some other system;
persons who want to make the present century as a century of conflict
between Islam and Christianity
so that their own civilization, nation, country, or ideology could
survive. They can be any one, from Russia to Israel and from India to
Serbia. In the US itself, there are dozens of well-organized and
well-equipped groups, which are capable of causing a large-scale
destruction. Then you cannot forget the American Jews, who are annoyed
with President Bush ever since the elections in Florida and want to
avenge him.

Then there are intelligence agencies in the US,
which require billions of dollars worth of funds from the Congress and
the government every year. This funding issue was not a big problem till
the existence of the former Soviet Union but after that the budget of
these agencies has been in danger.

They needed an enemy. So, they first started propaganda against Usamah and Taleban
and then this incident happened. You see, the Bush administration
approved a budget of 40bn dollars. Where will this huge amount go? It
will be provided to the same agencies, which need huge funds and want to
exert their importance.

Now they will spend the money
for their expansion and for increasing their importance. I will give you
an example. Drug smugglers from all over the world are in contact with
the US secret agencies. These agencies do not want to eradicate
narcotics cultivation and trafficking because their importance will be
diminished. The people in the US Drug Enforcement
Department are encouraging drug trade so that they could show
performance and get millions of dollars worth of budget. General Noriega
was made a drug baron by the CIA and, in need, he was made a scapegoat.
In the same way, whether it is President Bush or any other US
president, they cannot bring Israel to justice for its human rights
abuses or to hold it accountable for such crimes. What is this? Is it
not that there exists a government within the government in the United Sates? That secret government must be asked as to who made the attacks.

Ummat:
A number of world countries have joined the call of the United States
for launching an attack on Afghanistan. These also include a number of
Muslim countries. Will Al-Qa'idah declare a jihad against these countries as well?

Usamah:
I must say that my duty is just to awaken the Muslims; to tell them as
to what is good for them and what is not. What does Islam says and what
the enemies of Islam want?

Al-Qa'idah was set up to wage a jihad against infidelity, particularly to encounter the onslaught of the infidel countries against the Islamic states. Jihad
is the sixth undeclared element of Islam. The first five being the
basic holy words of Islam, prayers, fast, pilgrimage to Mecca, and
giving alms Every anti-Islamic person is afraid of it. Al-Qa'idah wants
to keep this element alive and active and make it part of the daily life
of the Muslims. It wants to give it the status of worship. We are not
against any Islamic country nor we consider a war against an Islamic country as jihad.

We are in favour of armed jihad
only against those infidel countries, which are killing innocent Muslim
men, women, and children just because they are Muslims. Supporting the
US act is the need of some Muslim countries and the compulsion of
others. However, they should think as to what will remain of their
religious and moral position if they support the attack of the
Christians and the Jews on a Muslim country like Afghanistan. The orders
of Islamic shari'ah jurisprudence for such individuals, organizations,
and countries are clear and all the scholars of the Muslim brotherhood
are unanimous on them. We will do the same, which is being ordered by
the Amir ol-Momenin the commander of the faithful Mola Omar and the
Islamic scholars. The hearts of the people of Muslim countries are
beating with the call of jihad. We are grateful to them.

Ummat:
The losses caused in the attacks in New York and Washington have proved
that giving an economic blow to the US is not too difficult. US experts
admit that a few more such attacks can bring down the American economy.
Why is al-Qa'idah not targeting their economic pillars?

Usamah: I
have already said that we are not hostile to the United States. We are
against the system, which makes other nations slaves of the United
States, or forces them to mortgage their political and economic freedom.
This system is totally in control of the American Jews, whose first
priority is Israel, not the United States. It is simply that the
American people are themselves the slaves of the Jews and are forced to
live according to the principles and laws laid by them. So, the
punishment should reach Israel. In fact, it is Israel, which is giving a
blood bath to innocent Muslims and the US is not uttering a single
word.

Ummat:
Why is harm not caused to the enemies of Islam through other means,
apart from the armed struggle? For instance, inciting the Muslims to
boycott Western products, banks, shipping lines, and TV channels.

Usamah:
The first thing is that Western products could only be boycotted when
the Muslim fraternity is fully awakened and organized. Secondly, the
Muslim companies should become self-sufficient in producing goods equal
to the products of Western companies. Economic boycott of the West is
not possible unless economic self-sufficiency is attained and substitute
products are brought out. You see that wealth is scattered all across
the Muslim world
but not a single TV channel has been acquired which can preach Islamic
injunctions according to modern requirements and attain an international
influence. Muslim traders and philanthropists should make it a point
that if the weapon of public opinion is to be used, it is to be kept in
the hand. Today's world is of public opinion and the fates of nations
are determined through its pressure. Once the tools for building public
opinion are obtained, everything that you asked for can be done.

Ummat:
The entire propaganda about your struggle has so far been made by the
Western media. But no information is being received from your sources
about the network of Al-Qa'idah and its jihadi successes. Would you comment?

Usamah:
In fact, the Western media is left with nothing else. It has no other
theme to survive for a long time. Then we have many other things to do.
The struggle for jihad and the successes are for the sake of Allah and
not to annoy His bondsmen. Our silence is our real propaganda.
Rejections, explanations, or corrigendum only waste your time and
through them, the enemy wants you to engage in things which are not of
use to you. These things are pulling you away from your cause.

The
Western media is unleashing such a baseless propaganda, which make us
surprise but it reflects on what is in their hearts and gradually they
themselves become captive of this propaganda. They become afraid of it
and begin to cause harm to themselves. Terror is the most dreaded weapon
in modern age and the Western media is mercilessly using it against its
own people. It can add fear and helplessness in the psyche of
the people of Europe and the United States. It means that what the
enemies of the United States cannot do, its media is doing that. You can
understand as to what will be the performance of the nation in a war,
which suffers from fear and helplessness.

Ummat: What will the impact of the freeze of al-Qa'idah accounts by the US?

Usamah: God opens up ways for those who work for Him. Freezing of accounts will not make any difference for Al-Qa'idah or other jihad
groups. With the grace of Allah, al-Qa'idah has more than three such
alternative financial systems, which are all separate and totally
independent from each other. This system is operating under the
patronage of those who love jihad. What to say of the United States, even the combined world cannot budge these people from their path.

These
people are not in hundreds but in thousands and millions. Al-Qa'idah
comprises of such modern educated youths who are aware of the cracks
inside the Western financial system as they are aware of the lines in
their hands. These are the very flaws of the Western fiscal system,
which are becoming a noose for it and this system could not recuperate
in spite of the passage of so many days.

Ummat: Are there other safe areas other than Afghanistan, where you can continue jihad?

Usamah: There are areas in all parts of the world where strong jihadi
forces are present, from Indonesia to Algeria, from Kabul to Chechnya,
from Bosnia to Sudan, and from Burma to Kashmir. Then it is not the
problem of my person. I am helpless fellowman of God, constantly in the
fear of my accountability before God. It is not the question of Usamah
but of Islam and, in Islam too, of jihad. Thanks to God, those waging a jihad can walk today with their heads raised. Jihad
was still present when there was no Usamah and it will remain as such
even when Usamah is no longer there. Allah opens up ways and creates
loves in the hearts of people for those who walk on the path of Allah
with their lives, property, and children. Believe it, through jihad, a
man gets everything he desires. And the biggest desire of a Muslim is
the after life. Martyrdom is the shortest way of attaining an eternal
life.

Ummat: What do you say about the Pakistan government policy on Afghanistan attack?

Usamah: We are thankful to the Momin and valiant people of Pakistan who erected a blockade in front of the wrong forces and stood in the first file of battle. Pakistan is a great hope for the Islamic brotherhood.
Its people are awakened, organized, and rich in the spirit of faith.
They backed Afghanistan in its war against the Soviet Union and extended
every help to the mojahedin and the Afghan people. Then these are very Pakistanis who are standing shoulder by shoulder with the Taleban.
If such people emerge in just two countries, the domination of the West
will diminish in a matter of days. Our hearts beat with Pakistan and,
God forbid, if a difficult time comes we will protect it with our blood.
Pakistan is sacred for us like a place of worship. We are the people of
jihad and fighting for the defence of Pakistan is the best of all
jihads to us. It does not matter for us as to who rules Pakistan. The
important thing is that the spirit of jihad is alive and stronger in the hearts of the Pakistani people.

Copyright Ummat in Urdu, BBC translation in English, 2001