In a taped interview, a speaker purported to be Osama bin Laden's top deputy, Dr. Ayman al-Zawahri, threatens new attacks on the United States, its allies and its economy.
The authenticity of the audiotape, obtained by Associated Press Television News on Tuesday, could not be independently confirmed.
The speaker said to be al-Zawahri accuses the United States of trying, through its campaign against Iraq, to subjugate the Arab world on behalf of Israel.
The audio interview attributed to al-Zawahri was obtained by APTN in the form of a video compact disc. On the disc, the interview is played against a video backdrop with English subtitles of the conversation, along with scenes from the Sept. 11 attacks and other news footage.
A title in the video identifies the speaker as al-Zawahri.
In the recording, al-Zawahri issued a warning to what he called "the deputies of America," to get out of the Muslim world, specifically Germany and France.
"The mujahid youth has already sent messages to Germany and France," the speaker said. "However, if these doses are not enough, we are prepared with the help of Allah, to inject further doses."
"As for America itself, it should expect to be treated the same way it has acted," the man on the tape said. "It will have to pay the price. ... The settlement of this overburdened account will then indeed be heavy. We will also aim to continue, by permission of Allah, the destruction of the American economy."
Asked what he saw as the motives for the United States campaign against Iraq, the man said, "Its first goal is to destroy any effective military force in the proximity of Israel." Its second goal, he said, is to consolidate the supremacy of Israel over Arab countries.
"America and its deputies should know that their crimes will not go unpunished," he said. "We advise them to make a hasty retreat from Palestine, the Arabian Gulf, Afghanistan and the rest of the Muslim states, before they lose everything." (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
