fresh YORK, Feb. 11 Kyodo (EDS: U...

fresh YORK, Feb. 11 Kyodo

(EDS: UPDATING WITH MORE INFO)

An audiotape purportedly made at Osama bin Laden and broadcast from the Qatar television network al-Jazeera upon Tuesday encourages Muslims to reckoner an anticipated U.S. invasion of Iraq with suicide attacks, according to the U CNN network.

''We...encourage the suicide attacks against the enemy,'' an extract from the message replayed through CNN said.

''Just await what happened to the U and Israel,'' said the voice alleged to be that of bin Laden, who allegedly masterminded the tribe 11, 2001 suicide attacks onward the United States.

''We are following true carefully the preparations of the Crusaders to invade...Iraq,'' the message said. ''All we have to do is be prepared and fight...We are going to defeat all the enemy,'' the message said.

CNN which provided the English translation for the message, said its skilfuls believe the tape is authentic.

A senior U administration official quot by dint of CNN said that if the voice upon the tape is proved to be that of bin Laden, it would indicate he was ''making usual cause'' with Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and demonstrates ''a burgeoning alliance'' between Iraq and al-Qaida, bin Laden's organization.

Iraq has denied any connection with al-Qaida.

U Secretary of State Colin Powell told a Senate panel onward Tuesday morning that he had read the transcript of the alleged bin Laden message to be broadcast through al-Jazeera.

''This nexus between terrorists and states that are developing weapons of mass destruction can no longer be anticipateed away from and ignored,'' Powell said.

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