By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Al-Jazeera aired an audiotape purportedly from Osama bin Laden Thursday saying al-Qaida is making preparations for attacks in the United States but offering a truce to build Iraq and Afghanistan.
The voice in the tape said heightened security measures in the United States are not the reason there have been no attacks there since the September 11 2001 suicide hijackings. Instead, the reason is "because there are operations that need preparations, and you will see them," he said.
"Based on what I have said, it is better not to fight the Muslims on their land," he said. "We do not mind offering you a truce that is fair and long-term. ... So we can build Iraq and Afghanistan ... there is no shame in this solution because it prevents wasting of billions of dollars ... to merchants of war."
The speaker did not give conditions for a truce in the excerpts aired by al-Jazeera.