Bin Laden: Gaza offensive a 'holocaust'

Al-Qaida leader accuses some Arab countries of "collaborating" with Israel on Operation Cast Lead.

Bin Laden 224.88 (photo credit: AP)
Bin Laden 224.88
(photo credit: AP)
Al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden has called Israel's operation in Gaza a "holocaust" and blamed Arab leaders for not doing enough to stop the fighting in his latest audio recording aired on Al-Jazeera. Bin Laden accused some Arab countries of "collaborating" with Israel on Operation Cast Lead earlier this year that reportedly killed about 1,300 Palestinians in Gaza. He did not name any specific Arab countries in the brief audio recording played on Al-Jazeera Saturday. The terrorist leader called Arab leaders "hypocrites", and said that "liberating Jerusalem needed honest Arab leadership" to fight and liberate the Arab people. "It has become clear that some Arab leaders were complicit with the crusade zionist alliance against our people. These are the leaders that America calls moderate," he said. The Arabic satellite network did not say how it obtained the recording, and the authenticity of the tape could not be verified. It was the latest message from the terror leader since an audio message on Gaza in January. In that message, he urged Muslims to launch a jihad against Israel.