Raw Data: Transcript of Bin Laden Tape

The following are key quotations taken directly from the CIA translation of the latest audiotape purportedly from Usama bin Laden:

"My message to you concerns inciting and continuing to urge for jihad to repulse the grand plots that have been hatched against our nation, especially since some of them have appeared clearly, such as the occupation of the Crusaders, with the help of the apostates, of Baghdad, the house of the caliphate, under the trick of weapons of mass destruction. There is also the fierce attempt to destroy the Al-Aqsa Mosque and destroy jihad and the mujahideen in beloved Palestine by employing the trick of the road map and the Geneva peace initiative.

"The Americans' intentions have also become clear in statements about the need to change the beliefs, curricula, and morals of the Muslims to become more tolerant, as they put it. In clearer terms, it is a religious-economic war. The occupation of Iraq is a link in the Zionist-Crusader chain of evil.

Then comes the full occupation of the rest of the Gulf states to set the stage for controlling and dominating the whole world. For the big powers believe that the Gulf and the Gulf states are the key to controlling the world due to the presence of the largest oil reserves there.

Muslims: The situation is serious, and the misfortune is momentous. By God, I am keen on safeguarding you religion and your worldly life. So, lend me your years and open up your hearts to me so that we may examine these pitch-black misfortunes, and so that we may consider how we can find a way out of these adversities and calamities.

The West's occupation of our countries is old, yet new. The struggle between us and them, the confrontation, and clashing began centuries ago and will continue because the ground rule regarding the fight between right and falsehood will remain valid until Judgment Day. Take note of this ground rule regarding this fight.

There can be no dialogue with occupiers except through arms. This is what we need today, and what we should seek. Islamic countries in the past century were not liberated from the Crusaders' military occupation except through jihad in the cause of God. Under the pretext of fighting terrorism, the West today is doing its utmost to tarnish jihad and kill anyone seeking jihad.

Muslims if you do not punish them for their sins in Jerusalem and Iraq, they shall defeat you because of your failure. They will rob you of land of Al-Haramayn (Mecca and Medina). Today (they robbed you) of Baghdad and tomorrow they will rob you of Riyadh and so forth unless God deems otherwise.

The Gulf States proved their total inability to resist the Iraqi forces. They sought help from the Crusaders, led by the United States, as is well known. How can these states stand up to the United States?

In short, these states came to America's help and backed it in its attack against an Arab state which is bound to them with covenants of joint defense agreements. These covenants were reiterated at the Arab League just a few days before the U.S. attack, only to violate them in full. This shows their position on the nation's basic causes.

These regions wavered too much before taking a stand on using force and attacking Iraq. At times they absolutely rejected participation and at other times they linked this with the U.N. agreement. They went back to their first option. In fact, the lack of participation was in line with the domestic desire of these states. However, they finally submitted and succumbed to U.S. pressure and opened their air, land and sea bases to contribute toward the U.S. campaign, despite the immense repercussions of this move. Most important of these repercussions is that this is a sin against one of the Islamic tenets. Most important and dangerous in their view was that they feared 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.