NEW YORK -- A Saudi sheik has given Osama bin Laden religious approval to use a nuclear device against U.S. civilians, CBS News reported Saturday. In response to a question from the al-Qaida leader about using massively destructive weapons, the unidentified sheik wrote a treatise concluding bin Laden would be "perfectly within his rights to use them," said Michael Scheuer, a CIA official who had been in charge of tracking down bin Laden.

CBS will air Scheuer's interview Sunday during "60 Minutes." He is the author of several books, the latest of which is entitled "Imperial Hubris: Why the West is Losing the War on Terror."

"Muslims argue that the United States is responsible for millions of dead Muslims around the world, so reciprocity would mean you could kill millions of Americans."

Scheuer said bin Laden was criticized by some Muslims for the Sept. 11 attack because he killed so many people without enough warning and before offering to help convert them to Islam. But now, bin Laden has addressed the American people and given what he regards as fair warning.

"Their intention is to end the war as soon as they can, and to ratchet up the pain for the Americans until we get out of their region," says Scheuer. "If they acquire the weapon, they will use it, whether it's chemical, biological or some sort of nuclear weapon."

Copyright 2004 by United Press International