ANALYSTS' VIEW: New bin Laden video

(Reuters) - Following are some analysts' views on a newly released video of Osama bin Laden marking the sixth anniversary of al Qaeda's September 11 attacks:

ROHAN GUNARATNA, AUTHOR "INSIDE AL QAEDA"

"Osama's call to the Americans to convert to Islam is indicative of an al Qaeda attack on U.S. targets. Before the Prophet (Mohammad) attacked his enemies he urged his opponents to embrace Islam."

"Osama is presenting Koranic injunctions before planning to attack."

AMR El-CHOUBAKI, EXPERT ON ISLAMIST MOVEMENTS:

There's nothing new there, except for... when he called on the US to convert to Islam. In my opinion that's different from his earlier statements that contained a political dimension, references to oppression, and contained language that was broader than direct religious creedal language.

I think it suggests a return to a closed and impossible understanding of religion.

I think when there's impossible talk floated it reflects a crisis in discourse... It's clear his influence within the al Qaeda organization... is now limited, so the impossible discourse comes to the forefront because it costs nothing. No one's going to ask him how he plans to convert the US, and with what means. But when he talks about specific objectives, that he'll attack this area, or that the US will withdraw from Iraq in a month... there people will expect results. So it's clear he's not capable of achieving anything possible, so he's switched to impossible discourse, which no one can call him out on.

KHALID AL-DAKHIL, SAUDI POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR AT KING

SAUD UNIVERSITY:

There was a U.S. report warning of a possible attack, then came this. The whole message is focused on the United States ... this suggests that there is a threat.

The more important thing is the message that leaving Iraq, which appears more likely now, will not solve the problem.

ABDEL BARI ATWAN, EDITOR AL-QUDS NEWSPAPER, LONDON:

He would like to say that he is not dead, as many people anticipated, and he is still the leader of al Qaeda...

It was very significant, the transformation of his image, of his character which he wanted to convey in this videotape.

He would like to say: 'I am not the old Osama bin Laden, I am the new, mature Osama bin Laden, I am the spiritual leader of al Qaeda.'