Islamists have often been conspicuous by their absence in the uprisings largely led by ordinary citizens angered by autocratic rule, corruption and economic mismanagement.
But Bin Laden, who was killed in a US raid on May 2 in Pakistan, backed the uprisings which began in Tunisia and have spread across much of North Africa and the Middle East, saying that the winds of change would envelope the entire Muslim world, according to Reuters.
In the audio, a voice which appears to be Bin Laden’s referred to the uprisings which began in the Maghreb region of North Africa.
“The sun of the revolution has risen from the Maghreb. The light of the revolution came from Tunisia. It has given the nation tranquility and made the faces of the people happy.”
Tunisia’s president Zine Elabidine Ben Ali was overthrown in January, followed by Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak after mass protests centerd on Cairo’s Tahrir Square.
Bin Laden backed efforts to topple more leaders in the Muslim world, calling on supporters to “set up an operations room that follows up events and works in parallel ... to save the people that are struggling to bring down their tyrants.”
“I believe that the winds of change will envelope the entire Muslim world,” he said. “The youth must prepare what is necessary and must not make any decision without consulting those of experience and honesty who avoid half solutions,” Bin Laden said according to Reuters.
However, he made no specific reference to Libya, Syria and Yemen, where uprisings are underway. While denouncing Western hegemony, he did not mention the United States but said “the Jews have become scared” by the Arab revolutions.
“Tunisia was the first but swiftly the knights of Egypt have taken a spark from the free people of Tunisia to Tahrir Square,” said Bin Laden.
Al Qaeda, which has long advocated that violence is the only way to overthrow regimes, has been caught offguard by the “Arab Spring” uprisings which have been triggered by popular concerns over inflation, unemployment and calls for political reform rather than jihadist doctrines.
However, Western officials have warned that the group would try to exploit the wave of unrest that has swept across North Africa and the Middle East.
US commandos killed bin Laden in a compound in Abbottabad, a garrison town near the Pakistani capital. The incident embarrassed Pakistan’s military and spy agencies and led to calls by members of the US Congress for a tougher approach toward the country.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates of the United States, meanwhile, said that "somebody" in Pakistan knew about Bin Laden’s hideout but there is no proof that Pakistan’s political and military leaders were aware of it.
Despite anger in Congress directed at Islamabad, Mr. Gates and the US military’s top officer, Admiral Mike Mullen, also warned against cutting off aid to Pakistan, saying Washington had important interests at stake and that the country had already been “humiliated” by the US raid that killed bin Laden.
“My supposition is, somebody knew” about bin Laden’s presence in the garrison town of Abbottabad, near Islamabad, Mr. Gates told a news conference, according to Agence-France Presse.
But there was no evidence that leaders in Islamabad were aware of the Al Qaeda chief’s whereabouts before US commandos swooped on bin Laden’s compound this month, he told a Pentagon briefing.
“I have seen no evidence at all that the senior leadership knew. In fact, I’ve seen some evidence to the contrary,” he said.
“It’s my supposition, I think it’s a supposition shared by a number in this government, that somebody had to know, but we have no idea who and no proof and no evidence.”
Mr. Gates said he shared the “frustration” felt by US lawmakers towards Pakistan but stressed that President Barack Obama’s administration could not make allegations without evidence.
The Pentagon chief, in his first press conference since Bin Laden was killed, argued against punishing Pakistan by suspending aid as Islamabad had suffered a blow as a result of the covert raid, according to AFP.
Mr. Mullen, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, said it would take time to learn who may have known about bin Laden in Pakistan as intelligence agencies are still poring over a large amount of material found at the Al Qaeda leader’s compound.
The four-star admiral said it was important to maintain strong ties with Pakistan.
Pakistan received a total of $2.7 billion dollars in aid and reimbursements from Washington in fiscal year 2010, which ended on October 1, making it the third-largest recipient of US aid after Afghanistan and Israel.
(Abeer Tayel, an editor at Al Arabiya
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