On Thursday, Al Jazeera broadcast what it said was a new audiotape released by Osama bin Laden.

The voice, said to be that of Al Qaeda’s leader, warned the United States not to execute “hero warrior Khalid Shaikh Mohammed,” who claims to have orchestrated the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, and other accused terrorists.

“The White House has expressed its desire to execute them,” the speaker said. “The day America will take such decision it would have taken a decision to execute whoever we capture.”

The Obama administration recently decided not to hold trials for the Qaeda prisoners in a civilian court in New York and has not yet announced an alternative plan. In civilian or military court, though, it is expected that they would face the death penalty.

An American counterterrorism official, who did not confirm whether the tape was authentic, told The Associated Press that Al Qaeda has already executed prisoners. “‘They may have forgotten Danny Pearl and all the others they’ve slaughtered, but we haven’t,” the official told the news agency.

The audio message to the people of the United States also said, “Your friend in the White House has been following in the footsteps of his predecessor in many important issues, such as escalating the war in Afghanistan.” It added: