The videotape on Osama bin Laden released in mid-December this year through Al Jazeera, the Qatar-based TV channel, clearly points to his complicity in the September 11 attack on the World Trade Center (WTC) in New York. But then bin Laden has never had any qualms in admitting in the past that his aim was to see the "end of America". Following are the excerpts from various statements and interviews given by bin Laden over the years:

On the World Trade Center attacks: "We did not reveal the plan to them till they were there and just before they boarded the planes ... One group did not know the other group. We calculated in advance the number of people who could be killed based on the position of the towers and planes' paths. We calculated that the planes would hit three or four floors. I was the most optimistic of them all due to my experience in the field. I thought that the fire from the gas in the plane would melt the iron structure and collapse the area where the plane hit and all the floors above it only. That is all we hoped for."

On the hijackers: "The brothers who conducted the operation, all they knew was that it was a martyrdom project and we asked each of them to go to America. But they didn't know anything about the operation. They were all trained and those who were trained to fly did not know the others."

On his reaction to the attacks: "We were ... (inaudible) ... when the event took place. We knew since the previous Thursday that the event would take place that day. We had finished our work and had the radio on. It was 5.30 p.m. our time. Suddenly I heard the news that a plane had hit the WTC. We then turned to the news from Washington. The news continued and there was no mention of the attack until the very end. At the end of the newscast, they reported that a plane had just hit the WTC ... after a little while they announced that another plane had hit it.

On the fatwa against Americans: "The ruling to kill Americans and their allies-civilians and military men-is the duty of every Muslim. He can do it in any country in which it is possible to do it, to liberate the Al-Aqsa mosque and the Holy Mosque (Mecca) from their grip and for their armies to move out of all the lands of Islam. Despite the continuing American occupation of the two sacred mosques, America continues to claim it is upholding the banner of freedom and humanity, whilst these deeds you would find that the most ravenous animals would not descend to."

On his objectives: "Allah stood with the Muslims, the Afghan mujahideen and those who fought with them from other Muslim countries. We fought against the Russians and the Soviet Union. We didn't defeat them, Allah defeated them. They became non-existent. There is a lesson to learn from this for all those who wish to learn ... we are sure of our ultimate victory. Our battle with the Americans is larger than our battle with the Russians ... We anticipate a bleak future for America. Instead of remaining the United States, it shall end up as separate states and will have to carry the bodies of its sons back to America. Our first target is America and then we will go for India and Israel."

"... Our first target is America. Once we finish with it, we will go for India and Israel."