Al-Jazeera Airs Purported Bin Laden Tape

CAIRO, Egypt – Arabic satellite news station Al-Jazeera (search) on Saturday aired a new audiotape of someone purporting to be Usama bin Laden (search), warning of more homicide attacks against U.S. interests inside and outside America and threatening countries helping the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq.

"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."

In a message to Americans, the speaker said: "I tell the American people we will continue fighting you and we will continue martyrdom operations inside and outside the United States until you stop your injustice, and you end your foolishness."

"Jihad must continue until an Islamic government is established," he said.

Addressing U.S. troops, the speaker said: "Your blood will be spilled so the White House gang gets richer and the arms dealers with them, as well as the large companies involved."

The voice also urges Iraqis to wage a holy war against what it calls U.S. "crusaders," salutes resistance fighters in Iraq and warns against cooperation with the United States. It also tells young Muslims to "show your muscles."

U.S. and coalition forces have been under attack almost daily from presumed Saddam Hussein (search) loyalists and other insurgents who have had the help of foreign fighters.

In Washington, CIA spokesman Mark Mansfield said: "We're doing a technical analysis of the tape to try to determine whether or not it's authentic."

"It is a reminder that the global war on terror continues," said White House press secretary Scott McClellan, who was with Bush in Bangkok, Thailand, at an economic summit. "Terrorists are enemies of the civilized world who seek to spread fear and chaos and they have no regard for innocent life."

The speaker on the tape used similar wording, including Quranic 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 defense for this (Muslim) nation today ... so don't (fail) the Muslims today."

The speaker said this is his second message to the Iraqi people. In February, an audiotaped message believed to be from bin Laden urged Iraqis to carry out homicide attacks against Americans and draw U.S. troops into combat in Iraqi cities.

The audiotapes were broadcast over a still photo of bin Laden, dressed in a white robe and Afghan cap.

"I call upon all Muslims, especially Iraqis. I tell them: Do not dare support the crusading American armies and those that ally with them. ... Anyone that aids them, or whatever comes of them, no matter the label, is sacrilegious."

Washington has been urging other nations to send troops to help U.S-led forces stabilize Iraq. The U.N. Security Council (search) unanimously approved a resolution this week authorizing more countries to send troops and money to Iraq for reconstruction efforts.

So far, Turkey and South Korea have said they would send troops. There are already troops from 26 other nations in peacekeeping forces led by Britain and Poland in Iraq.

"America is embroiled in the swamps of Tigris and the Euphrates (rivers). America is in real trouble ... it is now screaming for help, from the lowest of people," the tape said.

President Bush "thought that Iraq and its oil is a big treasure," the voice said. "Now it is in trouble and resorted to buying mercenary fighters from everywhere."

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

The recording was 31 minutes long but the station aired only about 17 minutes of "important material, what is newsworthy," Hilal said. The station broke up the tape into two parts, one addressed to Americans, the other to Iraqis and Arabs.

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

The two messages — each 10 minutes long — were the first purported to be from the Al Qaeda leader's camp since Sept. 10, when Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya television screened a videotape that contained a pair of voiceovers, one purportedly from bin Laden and the other from his No. 2 man, Ayman al-Zawahri (search), who accused the United States of trying to abolish Islam.

The CIA concluded that that tape was probably authentic.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.