— DUBAI (Reuters) - The al-Jazeera satellite television channel declined to confirm or deny reports on Tuesday that it had received a statement from Osama bin Laden pledging solidarity with Iraq.
Al-Jazeera's news gathering section said the channel "most probably" had no statement from the Saudi-born militant, but promised a firm reply later.
It was not immediately known whether the Qatar-based station had received a statement and was checking its authenticity or if it did not wish to air it for political reasons.
Earlier Tuesday, Secretary of State Colin Powell told the U.S. Senate Budget Committee that he had read a transcript "of what bin Laden, or who we believe to be bin Laden, will be saying on al-Jazeera during the course of the day."
Al-Jazeera has often received audio tapes and statements said to come from bin Laden, blamed for the September 11 attacks on U.S. cities. The United States has accused the Arab TV channel of being a mouthpiece for al-Qaeda propaganda.
Powell told lawmakers they would "be seeing this as the day unfolds, where once again he speaks to the people of Iraq and talks about their struggle and how he is in partnership with Iraq."
Powell cited this as a reason the United States could not rely on just containing Iraq with more weapons inspectors and a greater United Nations presence.
"This nexus between terrorists and states that are developing weapons of mass destruction can no longer be looked away from and ignored," he said.