Al Qaeda confirms bin Laden death

President Barack Obama explained his decision not to release photos of Osama bin Laden's corpse this week by citing the risk jihadi militants would use the gruesome images as a propaganda tool. What's more, Obama noted, such risks far outweighed the value of producing evidence of bin Laden's death to win skeptics over. "There is no doubt that we killed Osama bin Laden," Obama told "60 Minutes" correspondent Steve Kroft.

And one notable group won't be counted in the skeptic's camp: al Qaeda. The terrorist group's general command sent a defiant statement to jihadi on-line forums Tuesday--the same day Obama announced his decision not to release the photos--confirming that bin Laden is dead, and calling for its supporters to take revenge.

Bin Laden's blood "will be a curse that will chase the Americans and their agents, a curse that will pursue them inside and outside their country, and soon--with God's help--we pray that their happiness turns into sorrow and may their bloods mix with their tears," the group vows.

The statement was released and translated from the Arabic by the SITE intelligence group, which monitors online radical forums. The AP has posted a video on the statement to YouTube:

Excerpts of the translated statement, posted by CNN, are below the jump:

"Congratulations to the Islamic Nation on the martyrdom of their devoted son Osama,

Even when the Americans managed to kill Osama, they managed to do ONLY that by disgrace and betrayal. Men and heroes only should be confronted in the battlefields but at the end, that's God's fate. Still we ask, will the Americans be able through their media outlets, their agents, their instruments, soldiers, intelligence services and their might be able to kill what Sheikh Osama lived for and was killed for? How far! How impossible! Sheikh Osama didn't build an organization that will vanish with his death or fades away with his departure.

In this context, we in al Qaeda Jihad organization promise God Almighty and we ask Him for help, support and steadfastness to continue on the path of jihad that our leaders, led by Sheikh Osama chose, and that we will not be reluctant, and will not deviate from that honorable path until God be the final judge between us and our enemy.

We also stress that the blood of the mujahid sheikh Osama bin Laden, may God have mercy on him is VERY dear to us and more precious to us and to every Muslim from being shed in vain and this blood (OBL's blood) will be a curse that will chase the Americans and their agents, a curse that will pursue them inside and outside their country, and soon — with God's help — we pray that their happiness turns into sorrow and may their bloods mix with their tears and let Sheikh Osama's resonate again that "America will neither enjoy nor live in security until our people in Palestine live it and enjoy it. ...

We call upon our Muslim people in Pakistan where our dear Sheikh Osama was killed on their soil to rise up and revolt so they can cleanse this disgrace that was brought upon them by a handful of traitors and thieves who have sold everything to the enemies of the Muslim nation, and disregarded the feelings of this great Muajhid (Pakistani) people and let them rise up and start a massive public uprising to cleanse their country (Pakistan) from the filth of the Americans who have wreaked havoc in the land". ...

The al Qaeda general command also tells its supporters that it has one more message for them, the SITE group relates.

(AP)