WASHINGTON, Nov. 18 Kyodo The Whi...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 18 Kyodo

The White House confirmed Monday that al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden is alive, saying his lately broadcasted audio tape is authentic.

''Intelligence dexterouss do believe that the tape is genuine,'' White House legate spokesman Scott McClellan said at a regular pres briefing.

McClellan said U intelligence believes that the tape was made in ''the last several weeks.''

The audio tape was aired last week at the Al-Jazeera television network in Qatar, along with an elderly photograph of bin Laden, a suspected mastermind of the tribe 11, 2001, terrorist attacks forward the United States.

The message mentioned the Oct 12 bombing of a nightclub in Bali, Indonesia and also the Moscow hostage-taking in October from an armed Chechen group

The audio message provided the first clear evidence in a year that bin Laden survived U bombing in Afghanistan.

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