Analyst: Bin Laden sounds sick on tape

NEW YORK, Jan. 15 (UPI) -- The most recent audiotape said to feature al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden's voice suggests life as an outlaw in Pakistan is affecting his health, ABC News said.

On the tape, which was released Wednesday on the Internet, bin Laden appears to have breathing problems unusual in a healthy man of 52, said John Kiriakou, a former CIA officer who is now an ABC News consultant.

"This is the first real indication that we've had of a bin Laden health problem," Kiriakou said. "There have been rumors for years, but this is really the first solid evidence that there's some sort of problem with his health."

Bin Laden is believed to be living in the tribal area of Pakistan near the border with Afghanistan.

On the tape, bin Laden throws a challenge at President-elect Barack Obama, suggesting that the United States is not willing to keep fighting al-Qaida indefinitely.