Al Qaeda tape no proof of bombing role - US official

An al Qaeda videotape featuring a pre-death statement by the suspected ringleader of the July 7 London suicide bombings does not prove the attack was carried out by Osama bin Laden's militant network, a US official said yesterday.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, said the Bush administration believes the tape containing the statement by Mohammad Sidique Khan and a message from al Qaeda second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahri is authentic.

"There's never been a fake (al Qaeda) tape," the official said.

"I'm sure al Qaeda is happy to get the word out saying they inspired the event. But the tape doesn't prove that al Qaeda was behind the attack.

"Clearly they're capable of getting their message out. They use their PR machine to do just that," the official added.