BERLIN, Feb 9: The German authorities are holding an audio tape apparently recorded by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a Jordanian suspected of being a senior member of Al Qaeda , in which he calls for the destruction of the United States, according to the Tuesday edition of German daily Tagesspiegel.

"Oh Allah, destroy the kingdom of (US President George W.) Bush, just as you destroyed the kingdom of Caesar," the voice on the 65-minute cassette says. It accuses certain Arab governments of abandoning the Muslim faith and says: "Oh Allah, kill them one after the other. Spare no-one," Tagesspiegel quoted police as saying.

Israel is also criticized on the tape, which the German authorities believed to be authentic, the daily said. It said the German federal police had confirmed they were examining the tape, which appeared to have been recorded during the second half of 2003. -AFP