al-Qaida tape appears genuine, says US official

AN audio tape of Ayman al-Zawahri, al-Qaida's fugitive second in command, appears to be genuine and to have been recorded in the last few weeks, a US official said yesterday.

In the tape, al-Zawahri threatens new attacks on the US and its economy.

References to current events in the tape obtained on Tuesday by Associated Press Television News are a clear sign that al-Zawahri is alive, the official said in Washington on condition of anonymity.