Bin Laden Says the Only One Convicted Was Not Involved at All!

Bin Laden: Moussaoui Not Linked to 9/11

An Internet audio tape attributed to Osama bin Laden said Tuesday that Zacarias Moussaoui — the only person convicted in the U.S. for the Sept. 11 attacks — had nothing to do with the operation.

"He had no connection at all with Sept. 11," bin Laden said.

"I am the one in charge of the 19 brothers and I never assigned brother Zacarias to be with them in that mission," he said, referring to the 19 hijackers on Sept. 11, 2001.

Bin Laden said Moussaoui's confession that he helped plan the attacks was "void," calling it the result of "pressures exercised against him during four and a half years" in U.S. prison.

Moussaoui, a 37-year-old Frenchman and admitted al-Qaida member, was sentenced to life in prison earlier this month after a jury ruled that he was responsible for at least one death on Sept. 11.

Two counterterrorism officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said U.S. intelligence is aware of the bin Laden message. One of the officials said there is no reason to doubt its authenticity.

That official said the message is part of bin Laden's continuing effort to demonstrate he is a relevant extremist leader, who is knowledgeable of current events. The official said the message was made for propaganda purposes, and it does not contain any threats.

The audio message, which is less than five minutes long, was transmitted with a still photo of bin Laden.

Copyright © 2006 The Associated Press.

[So what else is old business where our government is concerned? They spend months and years trying to convict this guy, and now Bin Laden -- the one guy who should know for sure -- tells them the one they convicted had nothing to do with it. PAT]