Purported bin Laden tape praises martyrdom

CAIRO, Egypt -- A new Al Qaeda videotape posted today on a militant website featured a short, undated clip of a weary-looking Osama bin Laden praising martyrdom.

The clip, which lasted less than a minute, was part of a 40-minute video featuring purported Al Qaeda fighters in Afghanistan paying tribute to fellow militants who have been killed in the country.

Bin Laden glorified those who die in the name of jihad, or holy war, saying even the Prophet Mohammed "had been wishing to be a martyr."

"The happy [man] is the one that God has chosen him to be a martyr," added bin Laden.

The authenticity of the video could not be verified, but it appeared on a site commonly used by Islamic militants and carried the logo of as-Sahab, Al Qaeda's media production wing. It was not immediately clear when the video of bin Laden was filmed.

Bin Laden was last heard from in a July 1, 2006, audiotape in which he voiced support for the new leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq and warned nations not to send troops to fight a hardline Islamic regime that had seized power in Somalia.