Al-Qaeda claims Tunisia attack

Nineteen people died in the attack on el-Ghriba

A spokesman for Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network says the organisation was behind a suicide attack at a Tunisian synagogue in April, in which 19 people died.

In an audio tape broadcast on the Arabic al-Jazeera television channel, al-Qaeda official Sulaiman Abu Ghaith said the attack was revenge for the deaths of Palestinians.

Sulaiman Abu Ghaith told the US to expect more attacks

Mr Abu Ghaith praised the 11 September attacks on America and warned of more attacks "in the coming days and months".

The Kuwaiti-born cleric said 98% of al-Qaeda leaders - including Bin Laden - were alive and that Bin Laden would make a statement broadcast on television.

The Qatar-based television channel said the recording of Mr Abu Ghaith was taped recently because he referred to claims last month that the US had information before 11 September that attacks were being planned.

Fuel tanker

Mr Abu Ghaith said the 11 April attack "was carried out by al-Qaeda network. A youth could not see his brothers in Palestine butchered and murdered... [while] he saw Jews cavorting in Djerba".

The blast, which killed 14 German tourists, a French citizen and four Tunisians, happened when a fuel tanker blew up outside the ancient synagogue.

The German Government said it suspected al-Qaeda involvement in the attack.

There have been previous, uncorroborated claims that al-Qaeda was responsible for the bombing, and Tunisia recently conceded that the blast was probably deliberate.

Bin Laden 'alive'

Mr Abu Ghaith said the world would find out that Bin Laden was "in good health" in an interview which would be broadcast on television, although he did not say when.

He also denied reports that Bin Laden's deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri, was injured in a US bombing raid in Tora Bora, in eastern Afghanistan.

The spokesman praised the 11 September attacks as a "great historic victory" and warned America to prepare for more attacks.

"As long as America insists on its unjust and biased policy towards Muslims in favour of Jews and Christians around the world, then... we will continue to hit it anywhere in the world."

He said that "neither [US Vice President] Dick Cheney nor Defence Secretary [Donald Rumsfeld] nor their president [George Bush] will be able to specify the place, the time or the manner in which these attacks will be carried out".

Al-Jazeera said it received the audiotape on Saturday, but it was not clear when or how it was obtained.