Bin Laden urges Europe to quit Afghanistan

By Firouz Sedarat

DUBAI (Reuters) - Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden urged European countries to end their military cooperation with U.S. forces in Afghanistan, in an audio tape aired by Al Jazeera television on Thursday.

He said American power was waning and it would be wise for the Europeans to quickly end their role in Afghanistan, where many European countries contribute to the 50,000-strong NATO and U.S.-led coalition forces fighting his Taliban allies.

"With the grace of God ... the American tide is receding and they would eventually return to their home across the Atlantic ... It is in your interest to force the hand of your politicians (away from) the White House," said a speaker in the recording who sounded like bin Laden.

He said the United States would soon leave the region, leaving Afghanistan's neighbours "to settle their scores".

In Washington, a U.S. counterterrorism official said the voice on the audio tape appeared to be bin Laden's. It was not immediately clear when the new message was recorded.

The United States led the invasion of Afghanistan to depose its Taliban rulers in late 2001, after they refused to hand over bin Laden and other al Qaeda leaders following the September 11 attacks on the United States.

Bin Laden did not make any threat in the portions of the recording aired by Jazeera. The full tape is yet to be released by an Islamist Web site which said on Monday it would carry it. Pro-al Qaeda militants have accused Al Jazeera of omitting important parts of the last bin Laden tape.

DEFENDING TALIBAN