Sarkozy dismisses Bin Laden threat

France stands by its law banning the burka despite a threatening new message from the al-Qa'ida leader Osama bin Laden, President Nicolas Sarkozy said.

In a recently released audio tape, Bin Laden threatens to kill French citizens in revenge for France's law to ban Muslim veils that cover the face, and because France has troops in Afghanistan.

President Sarkozy confirmed that France believes the tape is authentic and said the country would not back down from the new rule. "Obviously, France doesn't let anyone dictate its policies, and certainly not terrorists," he said.