An Arabic television station has broadcast an audio tape it says was made by a spokesman for the al-Qaida terror network, claiming Osama bin Laden is alive.
According to Dubai-based Arabic television station al-Arabiya, the audio tape was made by al-Qaida spokesman Abdel Rahman al-Najdi in Afghanistan. However, the identity of the speaker has not been confirmed.
On the tape, the speaker says Osama bin Laden is alive and doing well. The speaker says Afghanistan's ousted Taleban leader, Mullah Omar, is also still alive.
The whereabouts of both men remain unknown.
The man on the audio tape urges Muslims to fight U.S. troops in Iraq, calling it a holy war against occupying forces in the country.
The television station did not say how it came into possession of the audio tape, although it has broadcast many such tapes purported to be from groups like al-Qaida and Taleban.