Bin Laden tape vows suicide attacks

A VOICE purported to be Osama bin Laden has vowed suicide attacks “inside and outside” the United States and threatened nations that are helping the US occupation of Iraq.

The speaker in the tape, broadcast throughout the Arab world on Saturday by the Al-Jazeera television station, also warned Iraqis against co-operating with US forces and urged youths in neighbouring nations to join a jihad, or holy war, against the Americans.

"We reserve the right to respond at the appropriate time and place against all the countries participating in this unjust war, particularly Britain, Spain, Australia, Poland, Japan and Italy," the voice said.

"The Islamic countries who participate will not be exempt, especially the Gulf countries, most prominent among them is Kuwait, the launching base for infantry troops of the crusaders."

It was the first tape since the one released on the eve of the second anniversary of the Sept 11 terror attacks and the new message came as US President George W Bush toured Asian nations rallying allies in the war on terrorism.

The United States is pushing more nations to send troops to Iraq to help its forces trying to stabilise the country.

In Bangkok for an economic summit of Asian leaders, Bush said the new tape should persuade the world to support the war on terror.

"The Bin Laden tape should say to everybody the war on terror goes on, that there's still a danger to free nations," Bush said.

The speaker on the tape used similar wording, including Koranic verses and poems, spoken by Bin Laden in previous tapes. He held back a sob when addressing the Iraqi people, telling them he shares their concerns and saluting them on their jihad.

"God knows if I could find a way to your field, I wouldn't stall," the speaker said.

"You my brother fighters in Iraq ... I tell you: You are God's soldiers and the arrows of Islam, and the first line of defence for this (Muslim) nation today ... so don't (fail) the Muslims today."

The Qatar-based satellite station Al-Jazeera received the recording on Saturday from a "trusted source" who called and offered the audiotape, news editor Ibrahim Hilal said.

The message apparently was recorded before early September, because the speaker refers to the government of former Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, who resigned on September 6.

Addressing US troops in Iraq, the speaker said: "Your blood will be spilled so the White House gang gets richer and the arms dealers with them."

The message aired yesterday also derided Washington's attempts to persuade other nations to send troops to Iraq.

"America is bogged down in the quagmire of the Tigris and the Euphrates (rivers)," the speaker on the tape said. The United States "is in real trouble, God willing, and is today screaming at the top of its lungs."