New bin Laden message coming on Israel: monitor

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An impending message from al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was announced on Islamist Web sites and discusses the 60th anniversary of the state of Israel, U.S.-based terrorism monitors said on Thursday.

The announcement appeared on various militant message boards on the Internet with a banner announcing Israel's anniversary as the topic, said the monitoring service of the U.S. author and analyst who goes by the name Laura Mansfield.

The speech is addressed to "Western peoples" and entitled "The Causes of Conflict on the 60th Anniversary of the State of Israeli Occupation," the SITE Institute monitoring group said. The monitor IntelCenter said the statement was expected to be released within 72 hours.

In a message on March 20, his second in 2008, bin Laden urged Muslims to keep up the struggle against U.S. forces in Iraq as a path toward "liberating Palestine."

Al Qaeda has vowed attacks on Jews both within and outside of Israel, and regularly expressed support for the Palestinians.

But despite calls by al Qaeda supporters for the militant network to establish a presence in Palestinian areas, U.S. intelligence officials see no evidence it has done so. It is believed al Qaeda faces competition for turf in the areas from the well-established Hamas.

(Reporting by Randall Mikkelsen; editing by Patricia Zengerle)