DUBAI, Dec 30: Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden has warned Sunnis in Iraq not to take up arms against the network and promised the ‘liberation of Palestine,’ in a new online message.

In the 56-minute tape released on Saturday, he accused the United States of seeking to control the region through the Iraqi government, according to Sit, a US-based institute that monitors extremist web forums.

He singled out Iraqis fighting against Al Qaeda and the Islamic Party of Iraq, a political group allied with the government, saying their supporters were traitors to Islam, Site said.

Osama said those fighting Al Qaeda, known as ‘Awakening’ councils, had “betrayed the nation and brought shame and scandal, that will be followed by damnation forever unless they repent.”

He called on Muslims to rally behind the leader of Al Qaeda’s umbrella group in Iraq, Abu Omar Al Baghdadi.

The message was released on the eve of the first anniversary of the execution of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.

Osama also hit-out at Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah for allowing ‘crusader’ troops from the United Nations into Lebanon after its 34-day conflict with Israel last year.—AFP