Al-Qaeda releases bin Laden recording

CAIRO - Al-Qaeda has released a posthumous audio recording byOsama bin Laden in which he praised revolutions sweeping throughseveral Arab countries and called for more Muslim "tyrants" to betoppled.

Islamists have conspicuously been absent in the uprisings in theMiddle East that have largely been led by ordinary citizens angeredby autocratic rule, corruption and mismanaged economies.

Al-Qaeda and other militant groups have waged bloody butunsuccessful campaigns to topple these same rulers. By praising therevolts, bin Laden, who was killed in a raid on May 2nd in Pakistan,appeared to be trying to make the Islamists relevant again.

Al-Qaeda had said bin Laden, who masterminded the September 11th,2001, attacks on the United States, recorded a message a week beforehis death. The audio was included in an internet video and posted onIslamist websites.

"The sun of the revolution has risen from the Maghreb," thespeaker, who sounds like bin Laden, said. "The light of therevolution came from Tunisia. It has given the nation tranquillityand made the faces of the people happy.

"To the Muslim nation - we are watching with you this greathistoric event and share with you the joy and happiness.Congratulations for your victories and may God grant your martyrsmercy, your injured recovery and your prisoners freedom."

Bin Laden praised the Egyptian revolution and urged Arabprotesters to maintain their momentum. However he did not mention oradvocate democratic rule, which was a key demand of protesters inEgypt, Tunisia and Bahrain in particular. - (Reuters)