The US is threatening to release a video which it says shows a celebrating Osama bin Laden boasting of how he tuned in to the radio in advance to hear September 11th coverage and that he underestimated possible damage to the World Trade Center towers by the aircraft that hit them.
"This is evidence from the man's own lips of what a dirty bastard he was," said one official. The National Security Council is debating whether to release the tape to the news media.
Mr Paul Wolfowitz, the deputy defense secretary, said the administration would "like" to release the tape, but White House Press Secretary Mr Ari Fleischer cautioned there were reasons both for and against such a move.
"The president wants to share as much as possible with the country, to be as forthright as possible and to let people come to their own judgments by seeing things for themselves," Mr Fleischer said. "The president also wants to make certain that the ability to see things in the future is in no way impaired as a result of sharing something now."
The CNN website says advocates of releasing the tape say bin Laden can be seen on it "partying while his people suffer."
Officials say they believe the tape was made in Kandahar on or around November 9th.
Mr Fleischer said President Bush had watched the videotape, which sources say runs about 40 minutes. Another senior administration official said the decision over releasing the tape was "the president's. Period."
Sources said that voice identification tests had been performed on the tape, confirming it was bin Laden speaking. The tape was described as amateurish, leading to concerns that its release might cause some people to question its authenticity. The sources described the tape's setting as a party atmosphere with bin Laden speaking from the floor amid pillows.