Britain on Thursday ruled out any deal with Osama bin Laden after a tape purportedly from him offered a possible truce with European countries.

"We can't negotiate with Al Qaida... Their attacks are against the very idea of co-existence," the British Foreign Office said. "The right response is to continue to confront terrorism, not give in to its demands."

Two Arab television channels have broadcast an audiotape said to be from bin Laden in which he offers Europe a truce if it "stops attacking Muslims".

The BBC quoted Michael Ancram, foreign affairs spokesman for the major opposition Conservative Party, as saying that the alleged bin Laden truce offer was "obviously an attempt by Al Qaida or the associates of Al Qaida, to try and drive a wedge between the coalition."

"I think we have got to make absolutely sure that we stand shoulder to shoulder within the coalition in the fight against bin Laden, Al Qaida and international terrorism," Ancram told the BBC.

According to earlier reports, in the tape aired by Al Arabiya and Al Jazeera satellite channels, the person claimed to be bin Laden said the truce would not be extended to the United States, condemning the US-led coalition of Iraq as a money-making scheme for companies making weapons or aiding reconstruction efforts.

The authenticity of the tape could not be immediately verified.Several tapes purporting to be by bin Laden have surfaced since the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks on the United States, which the United States has blamed on his Al Qaida network.