DOHA, Oct 30 (AFP) - Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden accused US President George W. Bush of learning repression and election fraud from Arab leaders after inheriting the presidency from his father, in a video aired by Al-Jazeera TV Friday night.
"At a time when some of our kinfolk were impressed by America and hoped that these visits (by former president George Bush, the incumbent's father) would impact on our countries, it turned out that he was the one affected by the monarchies and military regimes" ruling the region, bin Laden said.
Bush's father began "envying them for keeping their posts tens of years, embezzling public funds without being held accountable or monitored. He transferred tyranny and repression of freedoms to his son and they called it a national law (introduced) under the pretext of combating terrorism," bin Laden said, referring to laws introduced after the September 11, 2001 attacks.
Bush's father also "put his sons to govern (US) states. And he did not forget to transfer (election-) forging skills from the presidents of the region to Florida to use them in critical times," bin Laden said.
The reference was to the legal wrangling in Florida in the US elections four years ago which delayed the outcome of the vote for 36 days until the US Supreme Court halted recounts, leaving George W. Bush with a 537-vote lead that won him the state and the White House.
The White House said later Friday that US intelligence agencies believe the tape, in which bin Laden threatened new September 11-like attacks on the United States, was authentic.
10/29/2004 22:13 GMT - AFP