Laden vows more suicide attacks in new tape

The speaker on the tapes urged Iraqis to wage a holy war against American "crusaders" in Iraq until an Islamic government was set up in Baghdad.

"You should know that this war (by the US-led occupiers in Iraq) is a new crusade against the Islamic world and is a fateful war for the whole (Muslim) nation," the speaker said.

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"We, God willing, will continue to fight you (Washington) and will continue martyrdom (suicide) operations inside and outside the United States until you abandon your oppression and foolish acts."

The speaker said it was now clear President Bush had launched the war that ousted Saddam Hussein to fulfil a "Zionist" lobby aim of destroying Iraq's military might and seizing its oil wealth.

"Let the unjust know we have the right to respond at any suitable time and place to all who participate in this cruel war -- Britain, Spain, Australia, Poland, Japan, Italy and Muslim states, and especially Kuwait and other Gulf states."

It was not immediately possible to independently verify the authenticity of the tapes, but the voice and style of speech were similar to bin Laden's.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan said: "(The tapes are) a reminder that the global war on terror continues. Terrorists are enemies of the civilised world... That's why we are taking the fight to the killers and bringing them to justice."

McClellan, accompanying Bush at an Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Bangkok, said US authorities would analyse the tapes.

The recordings -- one addressed to Americans and the other to Iraqis -- appeared to be recent because the speaker accused former Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, who resigned from his post only last month, of being a US agent.

The tapes seemed likely to bolster Bush's planned message to the APEC summit.