The Muslim News

Britain has rejected Osama bin Laden's denial that he helped mastermind the US terrorist attacks.

The Foreign Office says Britain and its allies will look at all the evidence pointing to who was behind Tuesday's suicide hijackings.

The denial from bin Laden which was released to the Afghan Islamic press says he categorically states that he has not done this.

Bin Laden says it is impossible for him to have organised the terrorist attacks because of restrictions placed on him by Afghanistan's ruling Taliban regime.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "Bin Laden may put out a statement, but clearly both us and our allies will look carefully at all the evidence before us."

Bin Laden added in his statement that his arrangement with the Taliban would not allow him to commission terrorist acts.

"I am residing in Afghanistan. I have taken an oath of allegiance which does not allow me to do such things from Afghanistan. We have been blamed in the past, but we were not involved."

As tension grew around Afghanistan the Foreign Office urged British nationals to leave parts of Pakistan, which has promised to support any action against its neighbour by the US.

Britons who were still in Pakistan's southwestern Baluchistan province, North West Frontier province and other northern areas should leave immediately, said a Foreign Office spokesman.

"Pakistan is one of a number of countries where there's an increased threat to British interests," added the spokesman.

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