Tape purported to be of bin Laden airs

WASHINGTON, Nov. 29 (UPI) -- A tape ostensibly from Osama bin Laden urged European countries to abandon their support of the war in Afghanistan.

The message purported to be from bin Laden also included a claim of sole responsibility for the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States in a tape released Thursday, CNN reported. The recording was aired by al-Jazeera television a few days after al-Qaida's television production unit promised a new communication from the terrorist leader.

The authenticity of the tape and when it was recorded could not be verified immediately, CNN said.

In Thursday's message, the speaker accused the United States and its NATO allies of killing civilians in Afghanistan.

"You didn't respect the rules of war and attacked and killed women and children on purpose," the speaker says.