Obama arrives in Saudi Arabia, visits king

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By Christina Bellantoni

UPDATED:

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA -- As President Obama arrived here Wednesday for meetings with the Saudi royal family, al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden surfaced to offer a reminder of the high-stakes agenda Mr. Obama is pursuing on his trip abroad -- a battle to improve the U.S. relations with the Muslim world and counter violent anti-U.S. attitudes among Islamic extremists.

Shortly after the new president was greeted by Saudi King Abdullah upon his landing, the Sept. 11 mastermind issued a audiotape accusing Mr. Obama of "planting the seeds of hatred and vengeance" in the Muslim world toward the United States. Bin Laden accused the U.S. government of ordering the recent Pakistani offensive against Taliban and Islamic extremists in the Swat Valley and warning of unspecified "consequences."

The tape aired on the Arabic-language Al Jazeera network, frequently used by the global terror network to spread its message. Ayman al-Zawahri, bin Laden's top deputy, issued his own statement Tuesday slamming Mr. Obama's highly-anticipated speech Thursday in Cairo on U.S. relations with the Islamic world.

Mr. Obama did not address the bin Laden tape during a brief statement to reporters, but White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters in Riyadh its contents were consistent with the "threatening" messages issued by al Qaeda in the past and said the terrorist is attempting to "upstage" and "try to be a part of" Mr. Obama's day.

"I dont think its surprising that al Qaeda would want to shift attention away from the president's historic and continued efforts to reach out and have an open dialogue with the Muslim world," Mr. Gibbs said, adding the White House has not had a chance to analyze the full message.

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