Bin Laden claims responsibility for Christmas bombing attempt

The message suggests that bin Laden wants to show he remains in direct command of al-Qaeda's many branches around the world.

In the short recording carried by the Al-Jazeera news channel, bin Laden addressed President Barack Obama saying the attack was a message similar to that of September 11 and more attacks against the US would be forthcoming.

"The message delivered to you through the plane of the heroic warrior Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was a confirmation of the previous messages sent by the heroes of the September 11," he said.

"America will never dream of security unless we will have it in reality in Palestine," he added. "God willing, our raids on you will continue as long as your support for the Israelis continues."

On Christmas Day, Nigerian national Abdulmutallab attempted to blow up the Northwest Airlines flight he was sitting on as it approached Detroit Metro Airport. But the bomb he was hiding in his underwear failed to explode. He told federal agents shortly afterward that he had been trained and instructed in the plot by al-Qaida operatives in Yemen.
There was no way to confirm the voice was actually that of Bin Laden, but it resembled previous recordings attributed to him.