Monday, February 20 2006 11:00 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Cairo (Egypt): Osama bin Laden promised never to be captured alive and declared the US had resorted to the same 'barbaric' tactics used by Saddam Hussein, according to an audiotape purportedly by the al-Qaida leader that was posted today (Feb 20,2006) on a militant website.

The tape appeared to be a complete version of one that was first broadcast January 19 on Al-Jazeera, the pan-Arab satellite channel, in which bin Laden offered the United States a long-term truce but also said his al-Qaida terror network would soon launch a fresh attack on American soil.

"I have sworn to only live free. Even if I find bitter the taste of death, I don't want to die humiliated or deceived," Bin Laden said, in the 11 minute 26 second tape.

In drawing the comparison to American military behavior in Iraq to that of Saddam, the speaker said," The jihad is continuing with strength... despite all the barbarity, the repressive steps taken by the American Army and its agents, to the extent that there is no longer any mentionable difference between this criminality and the criminality of Saddam."

Bin Laden also denied Bush administration assertions that it was better to fight terrorists in Iraq than on US soil.

"The war against America and its allies has not remained confined to Iraq as he (Bush) claims, but rather Iraq has become a point of attraction and recruitment of qualified forces," the speaker said.

In the full tape that was posted today, bin Laden engaged in renewed propaganda, mocking US President George W Bush's aircraft carrier declaration in April 2003 that major conflict in Iraq had ended.