Kill Annan, Bremer, get 10 kg gold: Qaeda tape

An Audio tape attributed to Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden has offered rewards in gold for the killing of top US and UN officials in Iraq or of the citizens of any nation fighting there. The recording, dated yesterday, appeared on two websites known for militant Islamic messages. The voice sounded like that of bin Laden but the authenticity of the recording could not be verified.

The CIA is looking into the statement, a spokesman said. Bin Laden had never been known to offer rewards for missions he had described as followers’ religious duty to carry out. ‘‘You know that US promised big rewards for those who kill mujahideen,’’ the speaker said. ‘‘We, in Al Qaeda, will guarantee, God willing, 10,000 gm of gold to whoever kills the occupier Bremer, or the US chief commander or his deputy in Iraq.’’

‘‘For security reasons, the rewards will be given as soon as conditions permit, God willing,’’ the voice said. The US has offered a $ 50 million reward on Laden — far more than the nearly $125,000 that 10 kg gold is worth. The recording promised the same reward for the deaths of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and his envoy to Iraq, Lakhdar Brahimi.

The speaker promised a lesser prize — 1 kg gold — to anyone killing a citizen of countries he called ‘‘the masters of the veto like Americans and Britons’’. —PTI