Bin Laden claims U.S. plane attempt, vows more attacks

DUBAI (Reuters) - Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden claimed responsibility for the failed December 25 bombing of a U.S.-bound plane in an audio tape aired on Sunday, and vowed to continue attacks on the United States.

White House adviser David Axelrod said he could not confirm the authenticity of the tape, which was broadcast by Al Jazeera television before international meetings this week on how to deal with militancy in Afghanistan and Yemen.

But Abdelbari Atwan, editor of Al-Quds-Al-Arabi newspaper who met the al Qaeda leader in 1996, said: "It is bin Laden''s voice and style. The poetry, the references he makes are identifiably his."

Bin Laden praised the Nigerian who has been charged with trying to blow up Northwest Flight 253.

"The message sent to you with the attempt by the hero Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab is a confirmation of our previous message conveyed by the heroes of September 11," he said. "If it was possible to carry our messages to you by words, we wouldn''t have carried them to you by planes."

The botched attack by the Yemen-based regional wing of al Qaeda on Christmas Day, and subsequent threats in Yemen, raised global pressure for a crackdown, helping to prompt Sanaa to declare an open war on the militant group within its territory.

Defense and counterterrorism officials say Washington quietly has been supplying military equipment, intelligence and training to Yemen to destroy suspected al Qaeda hide-outs.

Since the attempted bombing, Yemen has launched a series of air strikes targeting al Qaeda leaders and has declared that some top regional leaders, including Qasim al-Raymi and Ayed al-Shabwani, have been killed.

But Al Qaeda denies the claims. Yemen subsequently attacked the rural home of Shabwani but gave no hint on the result.

On Sunday''s tape, bin Laden cited Washington''s support for Israel as a motivator for more attacks on the United States, and vowed to keep on as long as Palestinians cannot live in peace.

"Our attacks against you will continue as long as U.S. support for Israel continues," bin Laden said. "It is not fair that Americans should live in peace as long as our brothers in Gaza live in the worst conditions."