Because Europeans and Americans live in democracies, they bear responsibility for the policies of their governments, Osama bin Laden's top lieutenant wrote in the latest excerpt of his memoirs to be published.
In the passages that appeared today in the London-based Arabic-language newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat, Ayman Al Zawahri offered his justification for attacks on civilians, said The Associated Press.
Al-Zawahri accuses the West of the "crime" of creating Israel, added the report.
"In undertaking this crime, the Western countries were supported by their people. Those people enjoy the freedom of decision .... In the end, they vote in elections to choose the governments they want, then pay taxes to willingly finance their policies," he said.
Al Zawahri said the West understands only "the language of self interest coupled with oppressive power. If we want to make them understand our rights we have to speak to them in the language they understand."
The Egyptian semi government daily Al Ahram on Saturday published a notice from the family of Zawahri, bin Laden's right-hand man, saying his wife, Azza Anwar Nuweira, and children were dead.
Zawahri himself was reported wounded earlier December in a US air raid – Albawaba.com
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