Video voice is that of al-Qaida deputy

THE CIA has verified that section of the sound on the new al-Qaida videotape is an actual recording of Osama bin Laden’s chief deputy, but analysts are unsure whether the voice purported to be bin Laden himself is truly him, a CIA official said yesterday.

The videotape, aired on Wednesday on the Arab al-Jazeera television network, has two voiceovers, one purportedly from bin Laden, and the other from his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri. A CIA official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said agency analysts have determined that al-Zawahri's voice is authentic.

But the technical analysis of the section with bin Laden’s voice is inconclusive, the official said. The analysis will continue, but the official acknowledged the CIA may not be able to make a final determination.