'Bin Laden deputy' heard on new tape

An audiotape attributed to al-Qaida deputy Ayman al-Zawahri and broadcast on two Arab satellite channels accused the United States of trying to abolish Islam.

An audiotape attributed to al-Qaida deputy Ayman al-Zawahri and broadcast on two Arab satellite channels has accused the United States of trying to abolish Islam.

The tape, aired in excerpts on Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya, appeared to be recent, as the speaker referred to Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon’s visit to India earlier this month and the September 6 resignation of Palestinian premier Mahmoud Abbas.

“The crusade camp that is led by America and its allies from the infidels and hypocrites is targeting Islam and Muslims, even if it claims that it is fighting terrorism. This campaign is seeking to abolish Islam as a doctrine and a law,” the voice said.

He said that what the West called terrorism was the Muslim’s jihad.

The speaker urged Muslims to “resist this Jewish crusade”.

The content of the speech, including the provocative wording, was similar to previous recordings attributed to al-Zawahri. He did not threaten imminent attacks.

Al-Jazeera spokesman Jihad Ballout said the station received a telephone call from an unknown person saying they had a recording “that is of concern to you” and suggested the station taped the rest of the phone call. Ballout would not say when the call was received.

Ballout said the station would broadcast only edited portions of the tape.

Al-Arabiya appeared to have aired more of the tape. Editor-in-chief Salah Nejm told AP that the station received the tape shortly before it broadcast it yesterday. He would not comment on where and how the station obtained the tape.

He said that they only showed “parts that have news value”.

The tape sounded like al-Zawahri’s voice. In Washington, a CIA spokeswoman said the agency was carrying out a technical analysis of the tape to determine its authenticity.

“I thus call for jihad (holy war) against this campaign that seeks to end Islam as a doctrine and law and turn us into a herd that follows the lords of Washington, Tel Aviv and London,” the speaker said.

“All that bin Laden did was take revenge against America for all that it has done against Muslims.”