SYDNEY, Sept 8, 2007 (AFP) - US President George W. Bush said Saturday that a new video from terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden showed how dangerous the world remains and how the United States must show resolve in Iraq.

"I find it interesting that on the tape, Iraq was mentioned, which is a reminder that Iraq is a part of this war against extremists," Bush said after the release of the video, bin Laden's first in three years.

In the tape the Al-Qaeda chief marks six years since the September 11, 2001 terrorist strikes on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon with a call for an escalation of the insurgency in Iraq.

"If Al-Qaeda bothers to mention Iraq, it's because they want to achieve their objectives in Iraq, which is to drive attacks and develop a safe haven," Bush said as he met in Sydney with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

"And the reason they want a safe haven is to launch attacks against America or any other ally. And therefore it's important that we show resolve and determination to protect ourselves, deny Al-Qaeda safe haven and support young democracies, which will be a major defeat for their ambitions," said Bush.

The video, provided along with a transcript by the US-based monitoring service Site Intelligence Group, was the first of the world's most-wanted man since October 2004.

It showed bin Laden with his black beard apparently dyed to hide the streaks of grey seen in previous footage.

"The tape is a reminder about the dangerous world in which we live," said Bush, who was in Sydney for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.