But as he was arriving in Riyadh with high hopes of launching an invigorated dialogue, a new audio tape attributed to al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden was aired on al-Jazeera television.

VOA: standard.2009.06.03

In an audio tape released last week, the spiritual leader of radical Somali Islamist group al-Shabab, himself from Somaliland, ridiculed the breakaway region's continued attempt at democracy and independent statehood, saying that despite its nearly two-decade quest the region remains isolated and politically divided.

VOA: standard.2009.09.07