Bin Laden in plea to Muslims on Iraq
Powell said he read a transcript of "what bin Laden or who we believe to be bin Laden" was expected to say on the Al-Jazeera Arab satellite station last night, "where once again he speaks to the people of Iraq and talks about their struggle and how he is in partnership with Iraq."
Al-Jazeera last night said the statement "urged Muslims to show solidarity and defend the Iraqi people."
"We have a statement and we will show it later tonight. It has a message," editor Saeed al-Shouly said.
Powell earlier told the Senate Budget Committee: "This nexus between terrorists and States that are developing weapons of mass destruction can no longer be looked away from and ignored."
At a separate hearing, CIA director George Tenet said he, too, was aware of a new communication from bin Laden, but told the Senate Intelligence Committee he had not been briefed on its contents.
"I don't know what the contents will be," Tenet told the panel.
White House press secretary Ari Fleischer, asked about this, said Powell had "summed up what we have heard accurately. I think this is something that you may hear more about."
He said Powell "wouldn't have said what he said if he didn't have a basis for it."
Pressed during the daily news briefing to say whether the administration actually had access to the broadcast or a transcript of it, Fleischer replied: "I couldn't tell you the precise form of the knowledge of it." But the spokesman reiterated that he thought Powell had a legitimate basis for raising the issue.
The Capitol Hill appearance was Powell's second before the Senate since his presentation to the UN Security Council last week.
At that time, he detailed his indictment of Iraq as a deceptive stockpiler of weapons of mass destruction.
Lawmakers have praised Powell's UN performance, but many Democrats remain sceptical about whether war is necessary, particularly if key US allies remain opposed.
The split between the United States and its allies widened when France, Germany and Belgium jointly vetoed on Monday a US-backed measure to authorise NATO to make plans to protect Turkey if Iraq attacks it.
Russia then joined France and Germany in demanding strengthened weapons inspections.
Responding to concerns that the United States was putting its international alliances in jeopardy over Iraq, Powell said: "we're not breaking up the alliance."
Powell noted that the UN resolution demanding Iraq disarm was approved unanimously by the
Security Council and said it is the United Nations' responsibility to enforce the resolution.
Powell noted that while "much is being said about disagreement in NATO," that 16 members including the US and Turkey back the US position, while three France, Germany and Russia oppose it.
In Brussels, a second day of heated negotiations failed to end one of the worst crises in NATO's 53-year history.
After behind-the-scene talks throughout the day, ambassadors from the 19 NATO countries met for only 20 minutes yesterday evening before ending the session.
Negotiations are expected to resume this morning.
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