'Laden urges Europeans to leave Afghanistan'

Osama bin Laden urges Europeans to end their involvement in Afghanistan and reiterates his responsibility for the September 11 attacks in an audiotape.

Osama bin Laden urged Europeans to end their involvement in Afghanistan and reiterated his responsibility for the September 11 attacks, in an audiotape attributed to him on Al-Jazeera television on Thursday.

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The United States "insisted on invading" Afghanistan even though it knew that the Afghans were not behind the 2001 attacks, and "Europe walked behind it," the voice purported to be bin Laden's said in a "message to the European peoples."

"It would be better for you if you (restrained) your politicians who flock to the White House and worked actively to end the wrong done to the oppressed," he said.

"I am responsible" for the attacks on New York and Washington, the voice said.