Muslims urged to join holy war in new tape

Osama bin Laden’s deputy today urged all Muslims to take up arms and wage jihad against “the Cross and Zionism”.

In a new tape that surfaced today, Egyptian-born Ayman al-Zawahri said the global Islamic community had “no hope for victory” until all Muslims signed on to the al-Qaida-led jihad.

“As long as this malignant illness continues to survive within us, there is no hope for victory and there can only be more defeats, tragedies, disasters and betrayals,” al-Zawahri said.

His comments were made in a 48 minute tape entitled ”Impediments to Jihad”.

The video portion of the tape was a still photo of a white-turbaned al-Zawahri with English subtitles running under it. The audio on the tape appeared to be his voice speaking Arabic.

The tape was believed to have been made at about the same time as a September 19 video attributed to al-Zawahri, according to Ben Venzke, chief executive of Intelcentre, a US government contractor that obtained the tape.

It was impossible to immediately verify the authenticity of the tape. IntelCentre declined to say how it obtained the recording, citing confidentiality agreements with the US government.

But Venzke said it was produced by al-Sahab Media Production House, a purported al Qaida media organisation, and expanded on al-Zawahri’s September 19 message, which gave increased prominence to the Taliban.

“This latest one even goes beyond that with al-Zawahri pledging allegiance to the Taliban,” he said.

“The whole thing is an address to Muslims, saying armed jihad and struggle is the only way and that they have to suffer to do it.”

The latest tape was also a rallying call to Muslims to attack Western interests everywhere to help stave off ”defeat” for Islamic extremists.

Al-Zawahri specifically cited as examples of militant activities the Palestinian resistance to Israeli occupation in the Gaza Strip, insurgent warfare against US troops in Iraq and the September 11 attacks by 19 plane hijackers.

“The key to victory is in our hands, and in turn, the primary cause of defeat is in ourselves,” it said.