In a video issued ahead of the sixth anniversary of the 11th September attacks, Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden has said that the United States was vulnerable despite its economic and military power.
In a sign that the almost 30-minute tape, acquired by a news agency Television from a web trawler in Europe, was made recently, bin Laden mentions new French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
Its authenticity could not immediately be verified, although an excerpt seen by the news agency matched a still photograph carried by an al Qaeda-linked Web site which advertised the tape in advance.
While it was not clear when the tape was made.
The video has excerpts of bin Laden's remarks addressing the American people.
''Despite America being the greatest economic power and possessing the most powerful and modern military arsenal, and despite it spending on this war and its army more than the entire world spends on its armies, and being the major state influencing the world's policies ... 19 young men were able ... to change the direction of its compass,'' bin Laden said in the tape.
''The subject of the mujahideen has become an inseparable part of the speech of your leader and the effects and signs are not hidden. Since the 11th, many of America's policies have come under the influence of the mujahideen.''
The video shows bin Laden sitting at a table dressed in white and cream robes and wearing white headgear.
Beneath him, a banner on the screen reads in English: ''A message from Sheikh Osama bin Laden to the American people.''
Bin Laden appears tired and sallow, though his beard is much shorter and darker than in his last appearance, when it was streaked with grey.
White House spokesman Tony Fratto said the tape demonstrated that ''terrorists are out there and they are actively trying to kill Americans and threaten our interests''. - DDNEWS
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