New bin Laden video to mark Sept. 11, group says

A website used by Islamic extremists will post a new video from al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden to mark the Sept. 11 anniversary, a monitoring group said on Thursday.

SITE Intelligence Group said an internet announcement of the new footage included a photo of bin Laden, purportedly taken from the video.

Another monitoring firm, the Intelcenter, said Thursday that the video is expected to be posted within the next 72 hours.

Bin Laden's beard, which in previous messages had been streaked with grey,appearsentirely dark in the imagesapparently taken from the Islamist website.

Rita Katz, director of the Washington-based SITE centre, said bin Laden likely dyedhisbeardto appearin good health and show off al-Qaeda's continued survival.

Thestill of binLadenappeared in a banner advertisement that read: "Soon, God willing, a videotape from the lion sheik Osama bin Laden, God preserve him."

U.S. Homeland Security spokesman Russ Knocke said he could not confirm the existence of a tape "and there is no credible information at this time warning of an imminent threat to the homeland."

But increased activity overseas and recent arrests of militants in Germany reinforce the department's assessment that the U.S. is currently in a period of increased risk, Knocke said.

Sept. 11 marks the sixth anniversary of the attacks on New York, Washington and Pennsylvania.

"They've always gone out of their way to commemorate it," said Ben Venzke, chief executive officer of Intelcenter. "Historically, the anniversary of 9/11 has never been drawn to attacks. It's drawn to video releases."

The last bin Laden video was made public in October 2004, shortly before the U.S. presidential elections.