Apparent Laden tape shows his isolation: US

The White House on Wednesday declined to authenticate a purported audio message from Al-Qaeda mastermind Osama bin Laden but said it appeared to be an effort to stay relevant and raise money.

Apparent Laden tape shows his isolation: US

The White House on Wednesday declined to authenticate a purported audio message from Al-Qaeda mastermind Osama bin Laden but said it appeared to be an effort to stay relevant and raise money.

"It appears this tape demonstrates his isolation and continued attempts to remain relevant at a time when Al-Qaeda's ideology, mission, and agenda are being questioned and challenged throughout the world," said spokesman Gordon Johndroe.

"This also looks to be an effort to raise money as part of their ongoing propaganda campaign," said Johndroe, who underlined "I won't speak of the authenticity of the audio tape that is for others."

A US counterterrorism official, who requested anonymity, said: "There is no reason to doubt that he (bin Laden) is alive and that he does play a role in directing Al-Qaeda efforts, particularly at a strategic level."

The recording, highlighted by a US-based monitoring service, came less than one week before US president-elect Barack Obama takes office on January 20 and inherits the global war on terrorism that President George W Bush launched after Al-Qaeda's September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.

Obama's transition team declined to comment.

"The United States promotes an alternative, hopeful ideology while continuing to partner with over 90 countries to pursue terrorists wherever they are," Johndroe said.

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack echoed the White House remarks that it demonstrated bin Laden's isolation when he ends up criticising Muslim clerics, Israel, the United States, the US president-elect.

"It's just another propaganda effort," McCormack added.

"I also take it as a sign that Al-Qaeda has largely been driven from the heart of the Middle East, Iraq... in that fight," he said. Critics say Al-Qaeda only entered Iraq after the US-led invasion in 2003.

"Yet, it is also an indication that Al-Qaeda and bin Laden are still out there, and that continued vigilance ... to protect against the threat that still exists is required," he said.

In his first recorded statement in eight months, bin Laden demanded a holy war against Israel in revenge for its deadly Gaza offensive, the IntelCentre service said.

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