Bin Laden says U.S. seeks to exploit Iraqi oil

DUBAI (Reuters) - Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden accused Washington of plotting to take control of Iraq's oil and urged Iraqis to reject efforts to rebuild a U.S.-backed national unity government there.

The militant leader also vowed in a recording posted on an Islamist Web site on Saturday to expand jihad to liberate all Palestinian land "from the (Mediterranean) sea to the (Jordan) river" and said his group will never recognize Israel.

"America seeks, alongside its agents in the region, to create an allied government ... that would accept in advance the presence of major U.S. bases in Iraq and give the Americans all they wish of Iraq's oil," he said in the 56-minute recording.

The Saudi-born militant said the envisaged Iraqi government was also meant to help Washington "fully dominate" the region with help from allies such as Saudi Arabia.

"The government of Riyadh is still playing its wicked roles," he said, describing Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah as the United States' "chief agent".

Referring to a Saudi push in February to help Palestinian rivals agree a unity government which fell apart in June, he said Riyadh was part of a scheme to lure Islamist Palestinian militant group Hamas away from its jihadist roots.

"I assure our kin in Palestine especially that we shall expand our jihad ... We will not recognize a state for the Jews over even an inch of Palestinian soil," said bin Laden.

Bin Laden did not mention accusations al Qaeda was behind Thursday's assassination of Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto. A Qaeda-allied militant leader has denied involvement.

BLUE HELMETS

Bin Laden took a swing at Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah group, for accepting the expansion of a United Nations force in Lebanon after the Shi'ite group's war with the Jewish state in 2006.

The peacekeepers sent to Lebanon after the war were there to "protect the Jews", said bin Laden, whose group belongs to a school of Islam that sees Shi'ite Muslims as heretics.

Bin Laden said Washington was planning to form a new Iraqi national unity government and warned that those who took part would be turning their backs on Islam.

Sunni Arabs pulled out of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's Shi'ite-led government earlier this year, accusing it of being too sectarian.

FORGIVENESS

Bin Laden accepted responsibility for civilian casualties in al Qaeda attacks but he argued that the enemy used Muslims as human shields. "We beg God's forgiveness," he said, vowing to continue to fight "leaders" of Muslims countries.

Earlier on Saturday, Iraq's Interior Ministry said al Qaeda's influence in Iraq had dramatically fallen, with 75 percent of its networks and 70 percent of its activities having been eliminated.

White House spokesman Tony Fratto said in a statement the tape was a reminder of al Qaeda's continued activities in Iraq.

"This is a reminder that the aim of al Qaeda in Iraq is to block democracy and freedom for all Iraqis. It also reminds us that the mission to defeat al Qaeda in Iraq is critically important and must succeed," Fratto said.

A U.S. counter-terrorism official said Washington was aware of the recording and was looking into it: "There has never been a fake bin Laden tape, so there really wouldn't be any reason going in to believe it would be anything other than authentic."

Bin Laden also said Muslims were losing money to "unjust" policies by countries that link their currencies to the weak U.S. dollar, an apparent reference to Saudi Arabia and fellow Gulf Arab oil producers.

He urged supporting militants so they can "preserve your oil and wealth and protect your money that is slipping between your fingers due to the unjust and arbitrary dollar pegs".

Saudi Arabia and four Gulf neighbors agreed in a summit this month to keep their currencies linked to the dollar after fellow Gulf Arab Kuwait started tracking a currency basket.

Al Qaeda media group As-Sahab said the tape was produced in a lunar calendar month which started on December 11, but did not give the actual date of the recording.

(Additional Reporting by Paul Eckert; Editing by Diana Abdallah)