DUBAI, Sept 10: Al-Jazeera television aired on Wednesday what it said was new footage of Al Qaeda leaders Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahri, and separate audio tapes in which al-Zawahri vowed more attacks on the United States.

A voice said to be bin Laden’s was also aired by the Arabic network, praising the suicide hijackers who flew planes into New York’s World Trade Center and the Pentagon in Washington two years ago on Sept 11.

“Whoever wants to be taught about loyalty and honesty should have known them (the attackers)... They were the most honest and the bravest,” he said.

The CIA and analysts around the world immediately began poring over the tapes to gauge their authenticity and scour them for clues of when and where they might have been made. Al- Jazeera said the video was probably filmed in April or May.

Al-Zawahri promised more attacks to “punish” the United States.

“With the help of God, we will cut the arms of anyone that touches us, prepare yourself for punishment for your crimes,” said the voice, which sounded like that of bin Laden’s right-hand man.

The voice tracks were played along with, but were separate from, video film which showed the two walking in an unidentified rocky mountainous area.

It showed a thin and haggard bin Laden walking downhill with al-Zawahri, both using walking sticks.

It also showed close-ups of bin Laden sitting next to a tree. Both men wore baggy trousers and long shirts and vests.

No new video pictures of bin Laden have been seen for many months, though Al Qaeda has issued several audio messages over the last year.

More than 2,800 people died in the Sept 11, 2001, attacks which were widely blamed on Al Qaeda and sparked the US “war on terror”.

The CIA was studying the latest tapes for clues about bin Laden.

“We believe he is alive, but we can’t tell you when the picture was shot or when the audio was recorded,” a US intelligence official told Reuters.

US officials have repeatedly said bin Laden was believed to be in the border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The intelligence official noted that on the most recent tape, the audio was separate from the video, which did not show bin Laden speaking.

Another US official said the release of tapes was an attempt to “show the flag” to followers.