US intelligence officials are reported to have said that an audiotape on which Osama bin Laden urges Iraqis to boycott January's elections is probably genuine.
Exerpts of the tape were broadcast by Arabic television channel Al Jazeera.
Iraq's electoral commission has criticised al-Jazeera for airing the tape and vowed to push ahead with the poll.
Earlier today, nine people were killed in a suicide car bomb attack in Baghdad which targeted a top Shi'ite politician.
Abdel Aziz al-Hakim, the head of a major Shi'ite Muslim political
party, escaped the explosion. At least 60 others were injured.
About 60 cars were destroyed in the blast, and Mr Hakim's offices were badly damaged, with walls destroyed and windows blown out.
The blast comes a month before planned elections in the country which are expected to see strong results for Mr Hakim and his party.
