Zawahiri issues 9/11 anniversary warning

DUBAI – Osama bin Laden’s number two Ayman al-Zawahiri warned that the Gulf and Israel would be the next targets of al-Qaeda, in a video message coinciding with the fifth anniversary of the September 11 attacks on the United States.

“We have repeatedly warned you and repeatedly offered a truce with you, and so we now have all legal and rational justification to continue to fight you until your power is destroyed or you give in and surrender,” Zawahiri said in the message to Western powers. “You should not concern yourself with the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.They are already doomed,” Zawahiri said, according to extracts published on an Internet site.”Instead you should worry about your presence in two areas.The first is the Gulf, from where you will be expelled, God willing, after your defeat in Iraq, and your economic ruin will be achieved.”And the second is Israel, because the jihadi reinforcements are getting closer, with God’s help and power, and your defeat there will put an end to the superiority of the Zionists and Crusaders.”It was the latest in a series of messages in recent weeks by the Egyptian-born Zawahiri, who carries a 25-million-dollar US bounty for information leading to his arrest or death.Nampa-AFP”You should not concern yourself with the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.They are already doomed,” Zawahiri said, according to extracts published on an Internet site.”Instead you should worry about your presence in two areas.The first is the Gulf, from where you will be expelled, God willing, after your defeat in Iraq, and your economic ruin will be achieved.”And the second is Israel, because the jihadi reinforcements are getting closer, with God’s help and power, and your defeat there will put an end to the superiority of the Zionists and Crusaders.”It was the latest in a series of messages in recent weeks by the Egyptian-born Zawahiri, who carries a 25-million-dollar US bounty for information leading to his arrest or death.Nampa-AFP