WASHINGTON -- Al-Qaida head Osama bin Laden for the first time Friday claimed responsibility for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the United States.
"We decided to destroy towers in America," because "we want to regain the freedom of our nation," bin Laden said in an 18-minute tape aired on the Arab Al-Jazeera network.
The tape was bin Laden's first appearance in more than two years. He directly addressed the American people, saying their security was in their hands alone.
"Your security is not in the hand of (Sen. John) Kerry (D-Mass.) or (President) Bush or al-Qaida," he said. "Your security is in your hand and every state that doesn't mess with our security ... this way you secure your own security."
Bin Laden's whereabouts are unknown and his message comes less than a week before the Nov. 2 U.S. presidential election.
Fox News reported the tape was authenticated by the intelligence community.
