Bin Laden claims Christmas bomb bid

AL-QAIDA leader Osama bin Laden claimed responsibility for the Christmas Day airline bombing attempt in Detroit, in a audio message released yesterday, and vowed further attacks on the US.

The message suggests bin Laden wants to show he remains in direct command of al-Qaida’s many branches around the world.

In the short recording carried by the Al-Jazeera Arabic news channel, bin Laden addressed US President Barack Obama saying the attack was a message similar to that of September 11 and more attacks against the US would be forthcoming.