Bin Laden Audio Released To Al-Jazeera

More voices from beyond the grave/cave/cave grave.

Osama bin Laden scolded his al-Qaida followers in Iraq and other insurgents Monday, saying they have "been lax" for failing to overcome fanatical tribal loyalties and unite in the fight against U.S. troops. The message of his new audiotape reflected the growing disarray among Iraq's Sunni Arab insurgents and bin Laden's client group in the country, both of which are facing heavy U.S. military pressure and an uprising among Sunni tribesmen. In the brief tape played on Al-Jazeera television, the terrorist leader urged militants to "beware of division ... The Muslim world is waiting for you to gather under one banner." He used the word "ta'assub" — "fanaticism" — to chastise insurgents for putting their allegiance to tribe or radical organization above the larger fight to overcome American forces. While the authenticity of the tape could not be verified immediately, the voice resembled that of bin Laden in previous messages. U.S. officials in Washington said analysts were still studying the tape. Al-Jazeera did not say how it got the tape, which was bin Laden's third this year. "My mujahedeen brothers in Iraq, you are a people worthy of praise and flattery. You've done well to carry out a glorious duty by fighting the enemy. But some of you have lagged behind in carrying out another glorious duty, which is to unite as one — as God wants," bin Laden said. He warned followers "against hypocritical enemies who are infiltrating your ranks to create sedition among mujahedeen groups."