Osama bin Laden has threatened the Europeans through an audiotape released Wednesday that he will punish them for repeatedly publishing in their news papers and magazines cartoons depicting prophet Muhammad.

"It paled when you went overboard in your unbelief . . . and went to the extent of publishing those insulting drawings. If there is no check on your freedom of words, then let your hearts be open to the freedom of our actions," said bin Laden in his five-minute recorded speech.

This is the second time bin Laden threatens countries of the European Union in four months. During his speech released by As-Sahab, the media arm of al-Qaeda, bin Laden also made remarks about the United States president. The terrorist mogul called Bush the “aggressive ally” while addressing to "the intelligent ones in the European Union," as he put it.

Bin Laden said the European countries shouldn’t have joined the military campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq, but added that the cartoons picturing Islam’s prophet were the straw that broke the camel’s back and that retaliation was coming.

The Muhammad cartoons issue started in 2006, when the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten published several cartoons of Islam’s biggest prophet prompting protests throughout the Muslim world. Muslims accused the Danish news paper of blasphemy.

In his five-minute speech, bin Laden didn’t say how the Europeans would be punished.

“Let our mothers bereave us if we do not make victorious our messenger of God,” he said.

The Taliban sent the threatening message after another cartoon showing Muhammad wearing a bomb-shaped turban was published by a Danish news paper to show their right at free speech. The Danish police recently uncovered a plot to kill the man who did the “immoral” cartoons.

“Publishing these insulting drawings is the greatest misfortune and the most dangerous,” said bin Laden in the recording which came as the Muslims celebrate the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad.