BBC News Online: World

Al-Qaeda threatens US and UK

Bin Laden: Prime suspect for the 11 September attacks

He advised Muslims in the US and UK not to travel by plane and not to live in skyscrapers - a clear reference to the 11 September suicide attacks on New York's World Trade Center using hijacked aircraft.

White House spokeswoman Jennifer Millerwise described the al-Qaeda statement as "just more propaganda".

Ghaith warned the US and UK to leave the Arabian peninsula or else "the land will be set on fire under their feet".

Ghaith added: "The storm will not calm as long as you [the United States and Britain] do not end your support for the Jews in Palestine, lift your embargo from around the Iraqi people, and have left the Arabian peninsula."

He threatened US President George W Bush and his father, former President Bill Clinton and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon for their "terrible crimes and the worst crimes".

"Millions of Muslims, men, women and children, have died without doing anything," he said.

The message came as the US-led air strikes on Afghanistan continued and fears grew over the anthrax outbreak in the US.

The al-Qaeda statement was made in a recorded message broadcast on the Qatari satellite TV network al-Jazeera.

The US networks did not broadcast the message following requests by the government, amid fears that Bin Ladin was using them to send coded messages to supporters.

Al-Jazeera was also asked not to broadcast anything which incited Muslims to violence.