Peru toasts Al Qaeda with poisonous bubbly

LIMA - Some Peruvian winemakers have ditched Santa Claus this festive season, instead turning to al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden to help their sales.

However, authorities said the booze was unsafe to drink.

Authorities in northern Peru this week uncovered a case of sparkling wine labeled "Bin Laden Champagne" that illegal local brewers hoped to sell at Christmas fairs for $1 a bottle.

"Anyone who drunk the stuff would probably be seriously ill," said Carlos Segura, a town hall official in Chiclayo north of Lima, who had no idea why the wine was named after Bin Laden.

"We tipped it into the sewers," he added.

- REUTERS