The latest audio message purportedly from Osama Bin Laden appears to show a significant change of tone from the al-Qaeda leader. Is it a change of style, or it it because he is losing influence?

The message, "A statement to the American people", was about 10 minutes long and was accompanied by a still image of Bin Laden but no video.

In it, he says that Barack Obama, the US president has not changed the situation in Afghanistan and Iraq, and he warns the Americans over Washington's close ties with Israel.

Bin Laden referred to the impact of the pro-Israel lobby in the US as detailed in the books of the Harvard professors John Mershimer and Steven Walt and invited the Americans to read them to find out the truth.

On the 8th anniversary of the September attacks, this statement marks significant change of tone in Bin Laden's threats. Is this because he is losing influence or is al-Qaeda as an organisation growing weaker?

To discuss this Inside Story is joined by guests Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, the vice president of The Foundation for the Defense of Democracy, Syed Saleem Shahzad, the Asia Times bureau chief, and Dia Rashwan, Al Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies.

This episode of inside Story aired from Tuesday, September 15, 2009.