Contrary to the conclusion of several observers that the two messages attributed to al-Qa'ida organization leader Usama Bin Ladin were tantamount to a gift for US President George Bush whose popularity in the polls is dropping noticeably, the organization believes that these two messages were tantamount to the program that al-Qa'ida would pursue freely in the coming stage against the United States. It also believes that Bin Ladin's appearance for the second time in one month underlines the failure of the US security policy after US circles tried to cast doubts that Bin Ladin was still alive following his public appearance with his aide Ayman al-Zawahiri last September.

Abu-Muhammad al-Ablaj, a leading al-Qa'ida figure, said in an electronic message to "Al-Majallah" that al-Qa'ida's commanders, cadres, and key leaders have been holding extensive meetings wherever they are for almost one month in preparation for carrying out what was said in Bin Ladin's two messages. He pointed out that the contents of Bin Ladin's two messages expressed precisely the plans laid down by those he called the leaders around him as a program that all the organization's cells all over the world would act according to it.

He said these meetings are the prelude for something big that will happen, but without giving any further details.

He added: "Time is running fast. We are preparing for a great day in the Arab region and in a place in the Western countries that Abu-Abdallah referred to in his message to the American people." He expressed his belief that countries would take stringent security measures after Bin Ladin's message, adding that no security measures would stop al-Qa'ida's plan, no matter how stringent they are. He said that past experiences are the best evidence of what we are saying in this matter.

Asked if the threats in the last message attributed to Bin Ladin means that their plans now include a threat to Arab and Islamic interests, Al-Ablaj said: "Targeting Gulf states is not among our plans. Our targets are known and American. We will strike US trade in the Gulf." But he hastened to add: "We will not be content with the boycott. The big misfortune now is that many US goods have had their market names changed into other names and local addresses and companies.

They will be the targets of our strikes as part of our plans whose implementation has become imminent."

On the significance of Bin Ladin addressing a message to the American people at present, he said: Bin Ladin warned them a long time before taking the battle inside the United States. Now that the people back, support, and finance Bush, they are to us like the Jews and we will treat them the same.

Asked if al-Qa'ida organization has the resources to strike the countries that Bin Ladin named in the two messages attributed to him, and specifically the United States, he said: We have finished examining the United States and dissected it like the surgeon dissects the human body.

The United States is a massive land force but could at the same time be paralyzed with a very simple and easy action. We are acting according to a simple formula, namely, that the building is very difficult but the demolition might be done with a matchstick and that this is easier than easy. For example, can the United States protect its earthquake fault lines and forests? This applies to all the countries that Abu-Abdallah referred to in his message.

Description of Source: London Al-Majallah in Arabic — London-based Saudi-owned weekly; sister magazine of Al-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper providing independent coverage of Arab and international issues)