'Bin Laden call' to Iraq fighters

Osama Bin Laden's last message was an attack on Pakistan's leader

A new audio recording purportedly by al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden has urged insurgent groups in Iraq to unify their ranks.

"The interest of the Islamic nation surpasses that of a group - it is more important than that of a state," says the message broadcast on al-Jazeera TV.

The call comes amid moves by some Sunni groups in Iraq to side with the Iraqi government against al-Qaeda.

The identity of the voice on the tape could not be independently confirmed.

'Mistakes'

And it is not clear when or where the message was recorded.

In it, the speaker says the strength of faith is in bonds between Muslims, not in a tribe, nationalism or an organisation.

"Some of you have been lax in one duty, which is to unite your ranks... Beware of division... Muslims are waiting for you to gather under a single banner to champion righteousness," he says.

The voice on the tape also admits that "mistakes have been made during holy wars".

It adds: "Everybody can make a mistake, but the best of them are those who admit their mistakes."

Osama Bin Laden's last message was on 20 September when he called for a holy war against Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf.

The al-Qaeda leader also released a message to coincide with the sixth anniversary of the 11 September attacks on the US.