The Hindu : Osama wants to die a martyr?

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Feb 14, 2003

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Osama wants to die a martyr?

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON FEB. 13. It is claimed that Osama bin Laden has predicted his own death in a new taped message, purported to be in his voice.

Obtained by a Birmingham-based small Arabic news agency and bookshop Al Ansaar, the tape is in a feeble voice but the style of delivery is said to resemble the earlier ``Osama'' recordings.

An Al-Ansaar spokesman told The Hindu that an ``analysis'' was going on to determine its authenticity, but media reports this morning quoted another agency representative as saying that it had already been subjected to a ``verification process''.

An English translation of the 50-odd minute recording, published in The Daily Telegraph, has ``Osama'' speaking about his demise and his wish to be a martyr.

It says: `` Before I end, I incite myself and my believing brothers to jehad by the words: `And most surely, this year I will lead by steed and hurl it and my soul at one of the targets. So, O my Lord, if my demise has come, then let it not be upon a bier draped with green mantles. But let my grave be an eagle's belly...''

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