New bin Laden video likely within days, first in 3 years

CAIRO, Egypt - Osama bin Laden plans a new video to be released in the coming days ahead of the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, in what would be the first new images of the terror mastermind in nearly three years, al-Qaeda's media arm announced yesterday.

The al-Qaeda leader has not appeared in new video footage since Oct. 29, 2004, and has not put out a new audiotape in more than a year.

One difference in his appearance was immediately obvious. The announcement had a still photo from the coming video, showing bin Laden addressing the camera, his beard fully black. In past videos, his beard was almost entirely gray with dark streaks.

Rita Katz, director of the SITE Institute - a Washington-based group that monitors terror messages - said bin Laden's beard appeared to have been dyed, a popular practice among Arab leaders.

"I think it works for [al-Qaeda's] benefit that he looks young, he looks healthy," Katz said.

The announcement and photo appeared in a banner advertisement on an Islamic extremist Web site where al-Qaeda's media arm, Al-Sahab, frequently posts messages.

"Soon, God willing, a videotape from the lion sheik Osama bin Laden, God preserve him," the ad read, signed by Sahab. Such announcements are usually put out one to three days before a video is posted on the Web.

IntelCenter, a group based in Alexandria, Va., that monitors Islamic Web sites, said the video was expected within the next 72 hours, before the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.

In bin Laden's last appearance, before the 2004 U.S. presidential election, he said America could avoid another 9/11-style attack if it stopped threatening Muslims.

Since then, there have been a number of audiotape messages from bin Laden. But there hasn't been one since July 2006.

During his silence, his deputy, Egyptian-born Ayman al-Zawahiri, has frequently issued videos and audiotapes.