Capital Trial Is Suggested in Rampage at Fort Hood

You have My Vote!

The NY Times
An Army colonel recommended Friday that Maj. Nidal M. Hasan be tried by a general court-martial and face the death penalty in the shooting deaths of 13 people at Fort Hood in 2009.

Bomb Kills 5 at Sufi Shrine in Pakistan

Tolerable Terrorism = Muslims Killing Muslims.
This is the only kind of terrorism I will tolerate, the kind where Islamic radical nutjobs go out and kill their own people .

It sucks for the Innocent people, But then, maybe Islam is just a murderous death Cult and that is just how it is.

Keep this crap to yourselves over there will ya !

Foxnews
MULTAN, Pakistan -- A bomb planted on a motorcycle exploded at the gate of a famous Sufi shrine in central Pakistan during morning prayers Monday, killing at least five people, officials said.

The blast at the Farid Shakar Ganj shrine in Punjab province was the latest in a string of attacks targeting Sufi shrines in Pakistan. Islamist militants often target Sufis, whose mystical practices clash with their hardline interpretation of Islam.

Bombers hit U.N. base in Afghanistan

Take that U.N. ! At least when a Drone is over head You can hear it !
You as well as the rest of the world don't see Islamic Jihadist Suicide Bombers till it is just to late !

(Reuters) - Two Taliban suicide bombers attacked the main U.N. compound in western Afghanistan and several insurgents were inside the building, but there were no immediate reports of casualties, police said Saturday.

Afghan troops and police were surrounding the U.N. building in Herat, a commercial hub and the largest city in the country's west and an area where Taliban and other Islamist insurgents are usually less active.

"We can confirm an attack on the U.N. compound in Herat City. It appears to be a complex attack, but we are not sure at this stage whether the incident has stopped or is still ongoing," said Kieran Dwyer, chief U.N. spokesman in Kabul.

He could not confirm if there were any casualties. Both foreign and local staff work at the compound shared by several U.N. agencies.

Pakistani Taliban threaten attacks in US, Europe

Very Soon , the Taliban Says !

Well Alrighty then , I guess we should oughta step up them there Predator Drone Attacks I Reckin !


Dawn.com
DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Pakistan's Taliban threatened on Friday to launch attacks in the United States and Europe “very soon”.

The warning came after a renewal of militant violence in Pakistan this week that is piling pressure on a US-backed government overwhelmed by the flood crisis.

“We will launch attacks in America and Europe very soon,” Qari Hussain Mehsud,
a senior Pakistani Taliban leader and mentor of suicide bombers, told Reuters by telephone from an undisclosed location.



a senior Pakistani Taliban leader and mentor of suicide bombers, told Reuters by telephone from an undisclosed location.

how do you say.... Chickenshit In Arabic ?

Shahzad Admits Trying to Bomb Times Square

Mr. Shahzad, 30 years old, told the courtroom he would plead guilty "100 times over" until the U.S. pulls its troops from Afghanistan and Pakistan and stops unmanned drone strikes against terror suspects. "I am part of the answer to the U.S. terrorizing the Muslim nations and the Muslim people, and on behalf of that, I'm avenging the attacks," Mr. Shahzad said.


Oh Goody , We have to look forward to more of these Wannabe Turd Farming Taliban Rejects ,Screwing up their Car Bombing attempts throughout the United States .

I mean , luckily this Jackass was unsuccessful in his attempt , but if he thinks His Failed attempt is the Muzzys "Answer" to the U.S. Blowing the Shit out of the Taliban with Hellfire Missiles , He truly is a Moron .

The Wall Street Journal
A Pakistani-born U.S. citizen, calling himself "a Muslim soldier" avenging U.S. attacks in Muslim countries, admitted Monday that he tried to detonate a crudely made car bomb in New York's Times Square in May.

Faisal Shahzad, of Shelton, Conn., pleaded guilty in federal court in Manhattan to a 10-count indictment that included charges of conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction, attempting an act of terrorism and transportation of an explosive. He faces life in prison when he is sentenced.

And Guaranteed , He will get it !

US says 12 Americans in custody in Yemen; hints at link to anti-terror campaign

Man , What is with the Yemeni , American connection here ?
I would have to imagine , in light of these recent "Un-coverings" of Americans associated with AL Qaida , in Yemen , It is a Bitch to get through Airport Security from now on , when your Passport has Yemen Stamped on it !


Foxnews
WASHINGTON (AP) — Yemeni authorities have 12 Americans in custody, and the arrests may be linked to a joint U.S.-Yemeni anti-terror campaign, a State Department spokesman said Monday.

The spokesman, P.J. Crowley, declined to provide details about the case, except to say the State Department is aware of the arrests and is seeking more information about the individuals being held.

Last Wednesday, Yemeni security officials said authorities had detained several foreigners, including Americans, Britons and an Australian woman, in connection with an investigation into al-Qaida's increased activity in the country.

The arrests reported last week were made after foreign intelligence agencies provided lists of names of people they wanted to have detained or put under surveillance, according to two Yemeni security officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not permitted to brief journalists.

It was not immediately clear whether the 12 Americans cited by Crowley were among those reported to have been rounded up last week, but Crowley suggested there may be an anti-terrorism connection.

Afghan Peace Conference Continues as Violence Rocks South

Another day of peace talks in Afghanistan , the Taliban has joined in again with some RPG's and some Gunfire .

They must really want some peace .


VOA
The gathering's opening was disrupted Wednesday by the sound of loud explosions as Taliban militants fired missiles and gunfire near the meeting site in western Kabul. The attack took place as Mr. Karzai was giving his opening address to the crowd of nearly 1,600 delegates.

Missiles fell near the huge tent where the "jirga," or assembly, is taking place, but no one was hurt. Officials said security forces killed two would-be bombers who tried to infiltrate the meeting disguised as women.

Organizers say the goal of the peace conference is to reach a consensus for a road map to reconcile with Taliban insurgents and other extremist groups that are attacking the government and U.S. and NATO troops.

Pakistan mosque accused of strong militant ties

And the list of Associates Gets longer .



(Reuters) - The mosque linked to associates of the man accused of the failed Times Square bombing has recruited young men for militant training in the past and may still have links to a banned group, security officials and residents said.

The Bat'ha Mosque, in a lower middle-class neighborhood in the north of Karachi, is often visited by Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) leaders, neighbors said, but it tries to conceal its links to the banned group.

"On the face of it, the mosque has no more links with Jaish, but that's not true," said a resident who was once involved in the management of the mosque.

"They are still close and leaders of the group regularly come here to attend congregations," he said.

JeM was formed in 2000 to liberate what it considers Indian-occupied Kashmir but has splintered since then.

It is blamed for numerous attacks against Pakistani civilian and military targets and has also been blamed for the murder of U.S. journalist Daniel Pearl.

It has links to Afghanistan dating back to the war against the Soviet occupation and still recruits and trains thousands of young men to fight Western forces in Afghanistan.

Third high-ranking al-Qaeda in Iraq leader killed

A third Top Al Qaida nitwit Bites the Dust .




USA Today
BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraqi and U.S. troops killed a regional leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq in an early morning raid Tuesday, as security forces continue to put pressure on the terrorist organization following the reported deaths of its two top-ranking figures over the weekend, officials said.

Abu Omar al-Baghdadi and Abu Ayyub al-Masri were killed in a joint operation Sunday in what Vice President Joe Biden called a "potentially devastating blow" to al-Qaeda in Iraq.

The intelligence that led to the elusive leaders' desert safehouse about six miles southwest of Tikrit came from the same source — a senior al-Qaeda operative captured last month — that produced the information leading to Tuesday's raid, according to a senior Iraqi military intelligence officer who supervised both operations.

Building on information provided by the captured al-Qaeda agent, Iraqi intelligence services were able to track down all three of the men, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the clandestine nature of his job.

The killing of the al-Qaeda figures comes at a critical moment for Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who has staked his reputation on being the man who can restore stability to Iraq after years of bloodshed. His coalition came in second in March's national election, but neither he nor his main rival have been able to muster enough support to form a new government.

Al Qaeda's two top Iraq leaders killed in raid

AWESOME !
Nothing picks up a Crappy ass Monday better than hearing about two top Al Qaida Numnuts Being found DEAD in a HOLE !

Live like A Cockroach then Die like one ,Sombitches !




(Reuters) - Al Qaeda's top two leaders in Iraq have been killed, officials said Monday, in a strike the United States called a "potentially devastating blow" but whose impact analysts said may be limited.

Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said al Qaeda's Iraq leader, Abu Ayyub al-Masri, and Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, the purported head of its local affiliate, the Islamic State of Iraq, were found dead in a hole in the ground inside a house after it was surrounded and stormed by troops.

The deaths could be a major setback to the stubborn insurgency at a time when Iraq is emerging from the sectarian slaughter unleashed after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion but still struggling to end suicide bombings and other attacks.

"Their deaths are potentially devastating blows to al Qaeda Iraq," U.S. Vice President Joe Biden told reporters in Washington, adding the operation "demonstrates the improved security strength and capacity of Iraqi security forces."

He said it was an operation led by Iraqi security forces with the support of U.S. troops, one of whom was killed. "The Iraqis have taken the lead in securing Iraq and its citizens by taking out both of these individuals," he said.

The U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. Ray Odierno, called the deaths "potentially the most significant blow to al Qaeda in Iraq since the beginning of the insurgency."

However, analysts cautioned against reading too much into the strike against a network that did not appear to have much hierarchy but operates mainly through independent cells.

Awlaki Hunt Ratchets Up

I would much rather see this Asshole with a dozen or so Good old fashioned American Bullets pumped into his body !
But alive would be O.K also .


foxnews
The hunt is heating up for US-born terror suspect and cleric Anwar al-Awlaki.

In its strongest statement yet, a diplomat for the Yemen government told Fox News it considers Awlaki a “fugitive” and wants him for questioning regarding “recent ties with Al Qaeda figures.”

The diplomat also told Fox Yemen Yemen is “addressing the findings linking Awlaki” to last year’s Fort Hood shootings and the Christmas bombing attempt.

It is believed Awlaki is hiding in southern Yemen.

The White House has reportedly signed off on a “kill or capture “ order targeting Awlaki for his terror associations.

A western diplomat in Sana’a has revealed to Fox News Awlaki is now considered to be fully “operational” as a terrorist, and that he is involved in “the recruitment of volunteers, the conception of acts, and their implementation.”

Awlaki is thought to be, according to the diplomat, in the “upper tier” of Yemen’s Al Qaeda chapter, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

Now, it appears, both the US AND Yemen have put Awlaki in the “upper tier” of their "Most Wanted" lists.

U.S. concerned Syria may be giving Scuds to Hezbollah

Hezbollah is playing with some big toys now .

What could they possibly want with some Scud Missiles ?

Israeli and U.S. officials, saying that that Syria has transferred Scuds to Hezbollah in a move that threatens to alter the Middle East military balance.

So if the real crazy Islamic Extremists (Hezbollah) Get bigger and better Weaponry than they ever had before , some parts of the Middle east (Israel) should watch their backs ? (Or the Skies)




(Reuters) - The White House expressed concern on Wednesday about allegations Syria has transferred long-range Scud missiles to the Lebanese guerrilla group Hezbollah and said it had raised the issue at the highest level.

"We are obviously increasingly concerned about the sophisticated weaponry that ... is allegedly being transferred," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters. "We have expressed our concerns to those governments."

Gibbs was responding to a question about a Wall Street Journal report, citing Israeli and U.S. officials, saying that that Syria has transferred Scuds to Hezbollah in a move that threatens to alter the Middle East military balance.

Iran leader wants U.N. pressure over Afghan rebels

Ahmadinejad , wants to have the Afghan Rebels Condemned , But you know not the Taliban Rebels .
He would also like to have 9/11 brought back up and see if we were correct in our taking on Al Qaida and the Taliban as our response to it !
One day this Douchebag will be gone (?) but the problem is in a muslim Country , another Douchbag is there to take his place !

Oh ,What a well placed Nuke could have taken care of on 9/12 !



(Reuters) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad urged the United Nations to condemn the support of foreign forces in Afghanistan for the leader of a Sunni Muslim rebel group, media reported on Monday.

In a letter to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, Ahmadinejad also called for an investigation into the September 11 attacks on the United States which he said was "used as a pretext for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq."

Predominantly Shi'ite Iran has linked Jundollah (God's soldiers) to the Sunni Islamist al Qaeda network and accuses Pakistan, Britain and the United States of backing the rebel group to destabilize Afghanistan, a charge the countries deny.

"We expect your Excellency... to condemn NATO's support for terrorism in the (Middle East) region and those who have supported this criminal," the official IRNA news agency quoted Ahmadinejad as saying in his letter, handed to Ban on Monday.

Jundollah, which accuses the Iranian government of discrimination against Sunnis, has been blamed for many deadly incidents over the last few years.

The Iranian president's remarks came at a time of escalating tension in the Islamic Republic's long-running dispute with the West over Tehran's nuclear program, with the United States pushing for new U.N. sanctions against the major oil producer.

In February, Iran arrested Abdolmalek Rigi in the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan and officials said he had been at a U.S. military base prior to being taken into custody.

The Pentagon denied Iran's claims that Washington had links to Rigi and his Jundollah group.

Pakistani jets kill 45 people in Khyber: militants

A little one two punch to some Islamic Radicals (Taliban).
Pakistan is on a big time roll with taking out these jackass's , it took awhile but now it seems they get it !



Dead Islamic Militant radicals , are the only good ones , As for the "civilians" ,unless they were being used as human shields , they probably were not so innocent !

(Reuters) - Pakistani fighter jets bombed a militant position in the Khyber region on the Afghan border on Saturday, killing at least 45 people, a senior member of a militant group in the region said.

The strike was carried out in the remote valley of Tirah, the militant, who declined to be named, told Reuters.

"They first hit a house where our people were present and minutes later, when people got there to remove bodies from the rubble, jets attacked again," the militant said.

He said the dead included both militants and civilians.

A military spokesman confirmed that aircraft bombed militant hideouts in the region but said he had no information about casualties.

"We anticipate that the number of dead would be high because the bombardment was very intense," Rehan Khattak, a senior government official in the region, told Reuters. "We're trying to get exact figures."

A semi-autonomous Pashtun tribal region, Khyber is a major route for Western supplies trucked from Karachi's port to landlocked Afghanistan through the Khyber Pass. Militants have frequently attacked convoys in the region.

Gunmen attack U.S. consulate in Pakistan

President Zardari , is giving up his main powers which may ease political tensions in Pakistan but will do nothing to ease tensions with the Taliban .

The Taliban will never be happy with anything or Anybody , Their attacks like the ones at the U.S. consulate and the Political rally where they did nothing but kill and injure their own Muslim people Should tell everyone that !

(Reuters) - Militants using a car bomb and firing weapons attacked the U.S. consulate in the Pakistani city of Peshawar on Monday hours after a suicide bomber killed 38 people elsewhere in the northwest, officials said.

Pakistani Taliban militants claimed responsibility for the attack on the consulate, in which eight people, including three militants, were killed but no one in the mission was hurt.
They vowed more violence.

Islamist attacks have raised fears for the future of the nuclear-armed U.S. ally, also beset by economic problems and chronic political wrangling.

But in a move that should ease political infighting, President Asif Ali Zardari called on parliament to approve quickly reforms that will see him give up his main powers.

The assault on the tightly guarded consulate was launched hours after the bomb blast at a rally of supporters of an ethnic Pashtun-based political party staunchly opposed to the militants.

The attacks underscored the danger posed by militants after a year of military offensives which have dealt the Islamists significant setbacks.

"I saw attackers in two vehicles. Some of them carried rocket-propelled grenades. They first opened fire at security personnel at the post near the consulate and then blasts went off," Peshawar resident Siraj Afridi told Reuters.

Pakistan's Army accused of extra-judicial killings

The Lahore-based Human Rights Commission of Pakistan provided a list of 249 suspected extra-judicial killings from July 30, 2009, to March 22, 2010, saying most of the bodies were found in Swat. It said independent journalists and locals widely believed security forces were behind them.

Widely Believed Without any proof .

And these were suspected Taliban Sympathizers , People that probably were not to nice in the first place , that is why they supported the Taliban .

And the U.S. is supposed to reprimand Pakistan over this when we are accused of taking out Civilians at every predator drone strike ?

The people that support the Taliban( "Sympathizers" ) are no better than the Taliban themselves ! If they are killed because the are in close proximity to their Male lovers at the time of their demise , it should be considered a two for one special !


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pakistani army is facing fresh accusations of carrying out extra-judicial killings and torture, claims which could threaten U.S. funding for any units singled out for abuse.

New York-based Human Rights Watch said it had briefed U.S. State Department and congressional officials about mounting evidence of more than 200 summary executions in Swat Valley in the past eight months of suspected Taliban sympathizers.

Pakistan's army denied the group's accusations of abuse in Swat, home to about 1.3 million people and the site of a much-lauded military operation last year to take back the former Taliban stronghold.

"Swat is open to journalists and you can conduct investigative reporting there," Pakistani Army spokesman Major General Athar Abbas told Reuters in Islamabad. "Have you seen any sort of report in Pakistani newspapers?"

The Lahore-based Human Rights Commission of Pakistan provided a list of 249 suspected extra-judicial killings from July 30, 2009, to March 22, 2010, saying most of the bodies were found in Swat. It said independent journalists and locals widely believed security forces were behind them.

Officials in Washington said they were taking the accusations of abuse seriously. The Obama administration has raised the matter with Islamabad, officials said.

"We have shared our concern about these allegations with senior Pakistani officials and will continue to monitor the situation closely," State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates has also discussed U.S. concerns with Pakistani military and government officials.

"While our strong bilateral relationship with Pakistan and our close partnership in combating terrorism are very important to us, we take allegations of human rights abuses seriously," said Geoff Morrell, Pentagon press secretary.

Gunmen storm Sunni enclave in Baghdad, kill 24

Just some insane Muslim killing Muslim antics in a normal day in Iraq !
The bummer is that the people killed were former "Insurgents" (Al Qaida), that have turned on their former gang of Rejects , and help stop some of the violence in Iraq and steer it on it's way to stability !
Not that I am giving them a Pass on what they used to be , They got what they Deserve !
It is just bad for Iraq , They lost some people who were trying to help .


(Reuters) - Gunmen wearing military uniforms stormed a Sunni Muslim village near Baghdad and killed 24 people, some of them former insurgents who turned against al Qaeda, Iraqi authorities said on Saturday.

The attackers may have been pretending to be U.S. soldiers because they wore U.S.-style uniforms, sunglasses, and spoke some English, according to an Iraqi military source at the scene.

The attack occurred on Friday in a Sunni enclave called Albusaifi in the southern part of Baghdad province, a former stronghold of al Qaeda militants. A police source said the gunmen handcuffed the victims and shot them in the head.

At least seven people were left alive, their hands tied behind their backs, Baghdad security spokesman Major General Qassim al-Moussawi said.

"The terrorist group drove cars and killed 24 people, including five women," Moussawi said.

Iraqi authorities had warned of a possible escalation of violence due to rising tensions surrounding a March 7 parliamentary election that produced no clear winner.

Iraqi and U.S. troops sealed off the area. Moussawi said 25 people were arrested and security forces were searching for more.

SONS OF IRAQ

Moussawi said some of the victims were members of the Iraqi security forces and others of the Sahwa movement, or the "Sons of Iraq." The group comprises Sunni former insurgents who joined the Iraqi government and U.S. forces to fight al Qaeda militants and are credited with helping turn the tide of the Iraq war.

"This is al Qaeda's doing," said a Sahwa leader who asked not to be named.

Another Sahwa official in southern Baghdad said the area was once an al Qaeda stronghold freed from "terrorists" by the Sons of Iraq.

Six Iraq al Qaeda leaders killed or arrested: U.S.

Dead Al Qaida Guys ! Hell Yeah !



And a few arrested ones , still awesome , hopefully they have been getting squezzed for info about the AQ network and there will be more deaths and maybe some arrests !

BAGHDAD
(Reuters) -U.S. and Iraqi troops have killed or arrested at least six suspected al Qaeda leaders allegedly involved in an extortion and assassination ring in northern Iraq, the U.S. military said.

The suspected militants were killed or arrested in security operations from March 18 to 24 in Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad and an al Qaeda stronghold, it said in a statement late on Thursday.

The suspects were accused of involvement in an extortion and assassination network that helped fund al Qaeda around Mosul. Its targets included oil companies and small businesses, the statement said.

Those killed were identified as the al Qaeda emir of northern Iraq, Khalid Muhammad Hasan Shallub al-Juburi; economic security emir Abu Ahmad al-Afri; and the suspected al Qaeda governor of Mosul, Bashar Khalaf Husyan Ali al-Jaburi.

The military said three top suspected oil-extortion figures were among a dozen people arrested on March 24 in a security sweep.

"Without these individuals in the AQI (al Qaeda in Iraq) network, it is expected that AQI's ability to operate and restructure will be severely hindered," it said.

For a little while yes , but Al Qaida are masters of waiting !

The joint U.S.-Iraqi operations were carried out pursuant to a warrant from an Iraqi judge.

Answers are sought in killing of Muslim cleric

"Something is happening here that is an awful and dangerous thing," Smith said.

Yes Mr Smith there is something happening that is awful and Dangerous ,
It is called Radical Islam !

If you Don't want to Die , Do not pull out a gun and point it at a swarm of FBI Agents !

The Freep.com

Leaders in the African-American community called for answers at a rally Saturday afternoon to the killing of a Muslim cleric during an FBI raid in Dearborn in October.

More than 200 people gathered at New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit to protest the controversial shooting of Imam Luqman Ameen Abdullah, 53. Abdullah was the target of a two-year investigation by federal agents who said he was a radical Sunni leader preaching the overthrow of the government from his small mosque.

Abdullah was shot 21 times during the raid. FBI agents, in their official account of the event, said they chased Abdullah, then caught up with him and demanded that he show his hands. Instead, they say, he pulled a gun and fired it, prompting agents to fire back.

Abdullah's supporters contend it was an act of police brutality aimed at a black Muslim. Agents in the raid were searching the warehouse for stolen items they say Abdullah was using to raise money for the mosque.

Saturday's event, co-sponsored by the Detroit branch of the NAACP, the Detroit Coalition Against Police Brutality and others, was held in one of Detroit's most famous Baptist churches, a sign, organizers said, that Abdullah's death was of concern beyond the Muslim community.

The Rev. Robert Smith of New Bethel said he welcomed the rally -- and likened the killing to those committed by police during the civil rights movement and Detroit riots.

"Something is happening here that is an awful and dangerous thing," Smith said.

Bin Laden: Americans Will Die if Alleged 9/11 Mastermind Is Executed

So if we execute Khalid sheik Mohammed , for spearheading the 9/11 terrorist attack , which he admitted to being the Mastermind , Al Qaida will Kill any American they get in Custody .
For one Don't they do that anyway ?
And two because of that , why should we not execute every Al Qaida Member we have in custody ?
Better yet , just execute them in the field ! save some taxpayers money !



Foxnews
Al Qaeda leader Usama bin Laden threatened in a new audio recording released Thursday to kill any captured Americans if the U.S. executes the accused mastermind of the Sept.11 attacks or any other Al Qaeda suspects.

The U.S. is still considering whether to put Khalid Sheik Mohammed and four of his fellow plotters on military tribunal for their role in the Sept. 11 attacks. The Obama administration is also looking into recommendations for civilian trials, and is expected to announce a decision soon.

In a brief 74-second audio tape aired on Al-Jazeera television, bin Laden said if the U.S. decides to execute any Al Qaeda suspects in its custody -- and explicitly mentioned Mohammed -- his terror network would kill American captives.

The terror leader said such a decision "would mean the U.S. has issued a death sentence against whoever of you becomes a prisoner in our hands."

"Your friend at the White House is still walking in the footsteps of those before (him) in many important matters," including escalating the war in Afghanistan and "oppressing our prisoners that you are holding, beginning with the mujahid hero Khalid al Sheikh Mohammed," he added.

U.S. politicians have "oppressed us and still do, especially by backing Israel, which occupies the land of Palestine," the Al Qaeda chief said.

It was not immediately clear whether Al Qaeda currently has any U.S. captives, but the Haqqani group -- the Pakistan-based Taliban faction closest to Al Qaeda -- is holding an American soldier it captured in eastern Afghanistan in June 2009. It released a video of him in December.

In a veiled threat, bin Laden said Americans had previously thought their homeland was beyond the reach of his group until the 9/11 attack.