Al-Zawahri mobilises youth

2004-10-01 16:36

Dubai - An audio tape purportedly released by Osama bin Laden's deputy urges young Muslims to get organized and go after the United States and its allies, according to comments aired on Friday by Al-Jazeera TV.

The station said the speaker on the tape was Ayman al-Zawahri, the closest aide to al-Qaeda leader bin Laden.

It was the second message purportedly from al-Zawahri to surface in less than a month.

It was not immediately possible to verify the authenticity of the recording, or determine how recently it had been taped from the segments aired.

Leaders not 'invincible'

The voice sounded like past recordings of al-Zawahri, but it also made an unusual reference to the possibility al-Qaeda's top leaders are not be invincible.

"You, youth of Islam, this is our message," he said.

"If we die or are detained, continue the path after us, and don't betray God and his prophet, and don't knowingly betray the trust."

The speaker's words came more quickly and energetically, sounding in general more upbeat than previous tapes believed to be from al-Zawahri.

"The interests of the Americans, British, Australians, French, Polish, Norwegians, South Korean and Japanese are spread everywhere," the speaker said.

"We must not wait more ... or we will be devoured one country after the other," the speaker said.

"The youth must not wait for anyone and must begin resisting from now, and take experience and lessons from Iraq and Afghanistan and Chechnya," the speaker said.

It said the countries cited had taken part in occupying Afghanistan or Iraq or Chechnya and gave Israel "means of survival".

Full tape not aired

An Al-Jazeera producer said the tape was "supposedly received today" by usual means, which he refused to discuss.

The station aired almost four minutes in two clips of a longer recording, and, as usual, was not planning to air the full tape.

Station officials would not comment on the contents of unaired segments.

On September 9, Al-Jazeera broadcast a videotape of al-Zawahri proclaiming that the United States will ultimately be defeated in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The CIA determined with a high degree of confidence that the previous message was al-Zawahri.

America has offered up to $25m for information leading to his killing or capture.

- AP