Osama Bin Laden is alive, well and will make a video statement soon, according to a recording said to be of an al-Qaeda spokesman and broadcast on Arabic television.

I can say that 98% of al-Qaeda leaders escaped unhurt, praise be to God, and they are running things in the best possible way

Al-Qaeda spokesman Sulaiman Abu Ghaith

Al-Qaeda, accused of carrying out the 11 September attacks on New York and Washington and earlier bombings of US embassies, is also planning to strike more American targets, the interview said.

The Arabic satellite station Al Jazeera said the recording of Sulaiman Abu Ghaith must have been made recently as it included remarks on the controversy in the US about whether President George W Bush had prior knowledge of 11 September.

Mr Abu Ghaith said that al-Qaeda was also responsible for an attack on a synagogue in Tunisia that killed 19 people in April.

Wounding reports 'untrue'

Al Jazeera has in the past aired videotaped messages of Bin Laden and his top lieutenants.

In the recording, Mr Abu Ghaith said Bin Laden, the Taleban's spiritual leader Mullah Mohammed Omar and al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri were all alive.

"I would like to reassure Muslims that Sheikh Osama Bin Laden, praise be to God, is well and in good health," Mr Abu Ghaith said.

Sulaiman Abu-Ghaith told the US to expect more attacks

"The reports that Sheikh Osama is ill or was wounded in Tora Bora are completely unfounded.

"Also, the reports that Dr Ayman al-Zawahiri was wounded in Tora Bora are totally baseless.

"I can say that 98% of al-Qaeda leaders escaped unhurt, praise be to God, and they are running things in the best possible way."

Mr Abu Ghaith said an interview with Bin Laden would be broadcast in the near future.

"The whole world, the zealous people in this Muslim world, and those who love the mujahideen for the sake of Almighty God will be pleased to watch an interview with Sheikh Osama Bin Laden soon, God willing, on television screens," he said.

Sites targeted

The spokesman repeated warnings which have appeared on Arabic websites that new attacks would be carried out against US targets.

"I say 'yes' to what American officials are saying... that we are going to carry out attacks on America," he said.

Mr Abu Ghaith explained that the synagogue on the Tunisian island of Djerba was targeted by a young al-Qaeda member angry at the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

"This provoked his jihad spirit and zeal and carried out this successful quality operation," he said.