Bin Laden 'declares war on Musharraf'

Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden has reportedly made a video in which he declares war on Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and the Pakistani army.

An Islamist website said it is carrying the clip, but gave no details. The video was not available immediately on the site and is not clear when it appear.

Officials announced on Thursday that Mr Musharraf would seek re-election on October 6 despite legal challenges in the Supreme Court and slumping popularity.

Earlier this month, on the sixth anniversary of 9/11, Bin Laden released a tape praising the "19 champions" who carried out the bombings.

The voice on the tape, believed to be Bin Laden by US intelligence officials, introduced the video testament of Waleed al-Shehri.

He was one of two Saudi brothers who helped Mohamed Atta slam the first hijacked plane into New York's World Trade Center.

Bin Laden describes Al-Shehri as a magnificent young man "who personally penetrated the most extreme degrees of danger and is a rarity among men: one of the 19 champions", referring to the number of hijackers.

The tape was issued four days after Bin Laden urged Americans to convert to Islam in his first video for nearly three years.

Bin Laden is believed to be hiding in the border area of Afghanistan and Pakistan, a mountainous, inaccessible region described as a safe haven for al-Qaeda.

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