Osama bin Laden sier det er to veier som fører frem til en løsning på krigen i Irak. Den ene er at mujahedin skal fortsette å angripe og drepe. Den andre er at amerikanerne omvender seg til islam. Osama ba dem innstendig gjøre det, og det virket som han trodde den dagen ikke er langt unna hvor det vil skje.

Det var ellers ingen trusler om nye angrep i videoen. som var klar til seksårsdagen for 911.

In the video, which was broadcast to the Arab world by Al-Jazeera television, bin Laden sits as he talks, wearing a white robe and turban and beige cloak seated behind a table while reading an address to the American people from papers in front of him.

His trimmed beard is shorter than in his last video, in 2004, and is fully black — apparently dyed, since in past videos it was mostly gray. He speaks softly, as he usually does, and has dark bags under his eyes but appears healthy.

The footage gives a rare look at the al-Qaida leader, who has likely avoided appearing in videos as a security measure. His emergence comes at a time when terrorism experts believe his terror network is regrouping in the lawless Pakistan-Afghanistan border region.

Bin Laden makes no overt threats and does not directly call for attacks, according to the transcript, which was first posted on ABC’s Web site.

Instead, he addresses Americans, lecturing them on the failures of their leaders to stop the war in Iraq despite growing public opposition in the U.S.

«There are two solutions to stopping it. One is from our side, and it is to escalate the fighting and killing against you. This is our duty, and our brothers are carrying it out,» bin Laden said.

«The second solution is from your side,» he said. «I invite you to embrace Islam.»

«It will also achieve your desire to stop the war as a consequence, because as soon as the warmongering owners of the major corporations realize that you have lost confidence in your democratic system and have begun to look for an alternative, and this alternative is Islam, they will run after you to please you and achieve what you want to steer you away from Islam,» he said. (AP)

En artig detalj er at Osama har kortere og mørkere skjegg enn sist han var «på lufta». Det er for tre år siden. Da var skjegget langt og hvitt. Nå er det kort og mørkt.