European leaders have vowed not to bow to his demands

Security officials in Germany and other EU nations say there's no reason to further tighten stringent security following Thursday's end of a three-month terrorism truce purportedly offered by Osama bin Laden to Europe. On April 15, a taped message by a man identifying himself as Osama bin Laden, the leader of the al Qaeda terrorist network, was broadcast on Islamic satellite networks, calling on European countries to accept an ultimatum. CIA officials have already said that technical analysis of the recording indicates it is authentic. "I announce a truce with the European countries that do not attack Muslim countries," the voice said. "The door to a truce is open for three months," it continued, adding the time frame could be extended. "The truce will begin when the last soldier leaves our countries," namely Afghanistan and Iraq. Most European countries spurned the al Qaeda ultimatum when it first appeared, stressing that they weren't going to deal or bow down to any terrorist group. As the alleged al Qaeda ultimatum expired on Thursday, security officials in most European nations emphasized that while they were taking every threat seriously, there was no need for any immediate tightening of already stringent security.