Terror mastermind Osama bin Laden yesterday congratulated the people who carried out the deadly terrorist strikes in the US.

But he denied he was involved, a Palestinian journalist said.

"Osama bin Laden thanked All mighty Allah and bowed before him when he heard this news," Jamal Ismail, Abu Dhabi Television's bureau chief in Islamabad, said, quoting a close aide of bin Laden's.

Ismail said the aide, whom he wouldn't identify by name, called him on a satellite telephone from a secret hide-out in Afghanistan.

Bin Laden praised the people who carried out the attacks in Washington and New York, Ismail said, quoting the aide. "But he had no information or knowledge about the attack" ahead of time, Ismail said.

The journalist has long-standing ties with Bin Laden and has won rare interviews with him several times over the past few years.

Bin Laden was branded as a grandmaster of global terrorism by former President Bill Clinton and is the US's most wanted terrorist.

The Saudi millionaire warned three weeks ago that there would be an "unprecedented" attack against America and its interests.

Bin Laden, who is reported to have escaped the clutches of 25 intelligence services, has triggered a red alert among all Western intelligence services after it was reported that he had linked with the Russian mafia to develop "a terror network".

Last year it was thought he was behind an attack on a US warship in Aden in which 17 sailors died.

Russia claims he is also aiding rebels in Chechnya.

The US State Department said in 1998 that bin Laden was "one of the most significant sponsors of Islamic extremist activities in the world today".

Initially, in the 1980s, the US and bin Laden were on the same side against the collapsing Soviet state, but once it had crumbled bin Laden turned his attack on secular, powerful Washington and said it was as much an infidel as Moscow.

His bitter battle with America intensified after August 1998, when President Clinton ordered Cruise missile strikes against Afghanistan and Sudan, and said the targets were specifically linked to bin Laden.

Two weeks ago, bin Laden was accused by Indian police over a plot to bomb the US embassy in New Delhi.

And just over a week ago, the intelligence services of Britain, America and Israel arrested one of his assistants following a plane crash in Malaga, Spain. The plane had come from Morocco but Spanish police did not detain him.

At that time, intelligence services feared an attack in Europe was being planned.