An audiotape that surfaced Friday by al-Qaeda's No. 2 urges Muslim youths to take the initiative and strike the United States and its allies. The tape aired by Al-Jazeera television identified the speaker as Dr. Ayman al-Zawahri.
The audiotape threatened interests of the United States and many of its allies, and urged young Muslims not to hesitate in acting against them.
"The youth must not wait for anyone and must start resisting from now - and take experience and lessons from Iraq and Afghanistan and Chechnya," the speaker said.
"You, youth of Islam, this is our message," the voice 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 interests of the Americans, British, Australians, French, Polish, Norwegians, South Koreans and Japanese are spread everywhere," the speaker said. "We must not wait more ... or we will be devoured one country after the other."
The tape said the countries cited had participated in occupying Afghanistan or Iraq or Chechnya and had given Israel "means of survival." (albawaba.com)
© 2004 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
