Desperate for attention after months of defeats and setbacks under the relentless pressure of US President George W. Bush's war on terrorism, Saudi-born Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda group claimed responsibility for Friday's failed attack on a major Saudi oil facility at Abqaiq, the group said in an Internet statement.

The statement, posted by the al Qaeda group in the Peninsula on a Web site often used by militant groups, said two of its members carried out the comically inept suicide operation, but gave no details.

"With grace from God alone, hero mujahideen from the squadron of Sheikh Osama bin Laden succeeded today (Friday)...in pulling alongside the chain link fence around the circumference of a plant for refining oil and gas in the town of Abqaiq in the eastern part of the peninsula, and then allowed two car bombs in driven by two martyrdom seekers who successfully detonated the explosives near the exterior fence causing many hundreds of dollars in damage," it said.

The statement added: "These plants help in stealing the Muslims' wealth of oil."

The group said it would give further details of the operation and those who carried it out at a later stage.

It said the operation was within the framework of efforts by al Qaeda to prevent the theft of Muslims' wealth by "crusaders and Jews" and to force "infidels" out of the peninsula.

Plant officials report security guards witnessed the vehicles pull up to a locked gate on the outer perimeter of the refinery, approximately 1.5 kilometers from the facility.  Upon realizing the gate was locked, the bombers seemed to panic and harmlessly detonated their explosive cargo killing only themselves and destroying 40 meters of chain link fence.

Analysts say the amateurish nature of the attack followed by al Qaeda's quick claim of responsibility demonstrate the terrorist organization's operational effectiveness has been rendered practically non-existent, while the public claim of responsibility is is indicative of a group desperate to stay in the public consciousness as Hezbollah, Hamas, and other terror-based groups have demonstrated at least a modicum of operational effectiveness.  

Al Qaeda leaders have called on militants to wage attacks on oil targets in the Gulf region.

The authenticity of the statement could not be verified.