Tuesday, 3 December, 2002, 07:13 GMT

By Frank Gardner BBC security correspondent in Washington

An Islamist web site on Monday has posted a statement purportedly from the al-Qaeda terror network, claiming responsibility for the twin attacks on Israeli targets in Kenya.

The statement, which could not immediately be verified, also warned Muslims not to co-operate with a possible United States attack on Iraq.

Meanwhile in Washington, a US official has said there is a link between the Kenyan attack and that on a US warplane in Saudi Arabia in June.

Once again, the internet has produced a mysterious statement, purporting to come from al-Qaeda.

A message, signed by "the Political Office of Qaeda al-Jihad" appeared to claim responsibility for the Kenyan attacks of last week.

It said "these two operations were aimed at killing any dream of the Crusader-Jewish coalition, of safeguarding their strategic interests".

But if this statement does indeed come from al-Qaeda, then it would mark a change in the way that organisation operates.

Ironically, al-Qaeda does not use that name, it prefers anonymity.

It also tends to avoid taking direct responsibility for attacks.

Instead it praises those who carry them out, and warns of more to come.

But there are growing suspicions that al-Qaeda was connected in some way to the attacks in Kenya.

Here in Washington, a US official said the surface-to-air missile launchers used in Kenya, were probably from the same batch as the one used against a US warplane, in Saudi Arabia.

That attack, which took place last summer, also failed to find its target.

So, for all its money and resources, al-Qaeda's armoury appears to be more outdated than some had feared.

-- Anonymous, December 03, 2002