Al-Qaida Claims Responsibility for Kenya Attack, Says Arab TV
Greg LaMotte
Cairo
08 Dec 2002, 18:14 UTC

The al-Qaida terror group policies more strikes against the United States and Isral. And says it will widen the war against what it calls the "Christian-Jewish alliance." The group also claimes responsibility for attacks last month in Kenya that claimed 13 victims .

An audio statement carried on an Islamist website was broadcast on Qatar's al Jazeera television channel Sunday. And claimed responsibility for the November 28 car bomb attack at a hotel in Mombasa that killed 10 Kenyans and three Israelis.

The statement also claimed responsibility for a failed missile attack on an Israeli airliner taking off from a nearby airport.

Israel had named al-Qaida as the prime suspect in the attacks.

The man speaking on the audio Internet message identified himself as Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, a spokesman for Osama bin Laden's terror group.The statement promises more "lethal" attacks against the United States and Israel.

The statement, in part, says "the Christian-Jewish alliance will not be safe from attacks by the Mujahideen, or Muslim warriors" and adds that the next phase of attacks will be bigger and more lethal and will occur on land, sea, and in the air.

Mr. Gaith proclaimed himself an al-Qaida spokesman following the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. His whereabouts and those of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden are unknown.

The statement noted that al-Qaida does not usually claim responsibility for attacks, but would do so according to what it calls "relevant circumstances."