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ABU DHABI – Al-Qaida has sent a message to its network of sleeper agents in the Persian Gulf.
Gulf intelligence sources said a taped message by al-Qaida leader Osama Bin Laden was intended to send orders to sleepers to carry out one or more unspecified attacks in the Gulf Cooperation Council states. The main target is believed to be Kuwait, the sources said.
“We believe this was directed at al-Qaida’s large sleeper network in Kuwait to move into action,” an intelligence source said. “There’s nothing more specific than this.”
Over the weekend, Bin Laden’s message was broadcast over the Doha-based Al-Jazeera satellite channel. The recording warned of fresh attacks against the United States and its allies in Iraq. Bin Laden named only one Arab country, Kuwait.
“Islamic countries that take part will not be excluded,” Bin Laden said. “This applies particularly to the Gulf states, particularly Kuwait, a launching pad for the crusader forces.”
Kuwait has ordered a general alert in response to the al-Qaida message. The alert puts the sheikdom’s military and security forces on increased readiness in cooperation with the United States, which has 34,000 troops in Kuwait.
“We have not faced any warning against our residents or our officials,” said Kuwaiti Information Minister Mohammed Abdullah Abu Al Hassan said.
Several Western embassies, including the British and French, also increased precautions in Kuwait.
In his message, Bin Laden warned Australia, Britain, France, Italy, Japan, Poland, Spain and the United States. Kuwait was the only Arab or Islamic country named by Bin Laden.
On Nov. 2, Kuwaiti authorities will begin the trial of six people charged with being part of an Islamic insurgency network that targeted U.S. interests in the sheikdom. The men were captured before the U.S.-led war against Iraq in March 2003.
Over the weekend of Oct. 18-19, an audio clip was placed on the Internet. It purported to be a recording of the May 12 al-Qaida suicide strikes on Western compounds in Riyadh. The recording, prepared by the al-Qaida-aligned Al Sahab group, purports to be the last testament of the four suicide attackers.
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