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'Year of attacks on US'
Last updated at 00:00am on 27.04.04
Al Qa'eda has denied responsibility for last week's Riyadh attack
One of the most senior figures in the al Qa'eda terror group has pledged that 2004 will be a year of attacks on America.
The comments appeared in a voice recording on the Dirasat Islamist Website and are believed to have come from Abdulaziz Issa Abdul-Mohsin al-Moqrin.
The tape also warns that that Saudi Arabian rulers will be unable to prevent further attacks.
"The Jews, the Americans and crusaders in general will remain the targets of our coming attacks and this year, God willing, will be fiercer and harsher for them" the tape said.
The man called on Americans to leave the Arabian peninsula and on Washington to withdraw its troops and bases from Muslim states and end its occupation of Muslim land and its support of Israel.
"We warn Muslims to stay away from Americans and their civilian and military sites so that they will not be harmed when the infidels are targeted."
The recording called on Americans to leave the Arabian peninsula; withdraw troops and bases from Muslim states; end its occupation of Muslim land and stop supporting Israel.
However, it also claims that al Qa'eda was not behind last week's suicide car bombing of a security building in the Saudi capital Riyadh.
Security officials believe that al-Moqrin is al-Qa'eda's leader in Saudi Arabia, with a major police operation currently attempting to capture him.
The Al Haramain Brigades, a Saudi militant group, have claimed responsibility for last week's Riyadh attack and said they were filling in for al Qaeda, which was preoccupied fighting "crusaders".
