Al-Jazeera broadcasts 'bin Laden' threat to attack America

The arab satellite station al-Jazeera broadcast a recording yesterday in which a male voice attributed to Osama bin Laden said the "youths of God" are planning more attacks against the United States.

"By God, the youths of God are preparing for you things that would fill your hearts with terror and target your economic lifeline until you stop your oppression and aggression," said the voice, recorded on an audiotape.

It was not clear when the tape was made but references appeared to be made to American policy towards Iraq, dating it to within weeks. The short message was broadcast with a picture of bin Laden in the background.

"But those who follow the activities of the band of criminals in the White House, the Jewish agents, who are preparing for an attack on the Muslim world ... feel that you have not understood anything from the message of the two attacks," he said. "So let America increase the pace of this conflict or decrease it, and we will respond in kind." The speaker said his message was addressed to the American people, whom he urged to "understand the message of the New York and Washington attacks which came in response to some of your previous crimes".

"Those who have initiated [the attacks] are the ones who brought injustice," he said.

The chief editor at al-Jazeera, Ibrahim Helal, said that the station received the tape two hours before the Sunday evening broadcast. "We had no doubt this was bin Laden. It was not only the tone of the voice but also the way he spoke and the logic of the message," he said.

Last month, the station aired excerpts from a videotape in which a voice said to belong to Mr bin Laden was heard naming the leaders of the 11 September hijackers.

Until then, Mr bin Laden had not been heard from since shortly after the US-led bombing campaign began in Afghanistan last October.

However, the Afghan President, Hamid Karzai, expressed doubts yesterday that Mr bin Laden was still alive. "The more we don't hear of him, and the more time passes, there is the likelihood that he probably is either dead or seriously wounded somewhere," he said.