 Al Qaeda number-two Ayman al-Zawahri urged Palestinians to reject a referendum called by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, in a videotape aired on Friday on Al-Jazeera television.
| "Don't do it! Youse'll be sorry if you do it!" |
Whereas a message by Taliban chief Mullah Omar said that Zarqawi's death will not weaken Iraqi resistance.
| "Nope. Nope. No effect. Might as well have stayed home." |
"I call upon them to reject any referendum on Palestine, because Palestine is not for bargaining or bidding," Zawahri said, addressing Muslims in general. "Palestine was a land of Islam, and its liberation is the duty of every Muslim," he added. Zawahri also condemned the Arab peace initiative to normalise relations with Israel in return for land, proposed in 2002 by then Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah. He mocked the Saudi monarch, calling him "the custodian of the American monotheistic ideology". He slammed Arab leaders for not helping the Palestinians financially after international donors cut aid to the Palestinian Authority after Hamas' win in January legislative elections.
US experts on Friday were analysing the videotape attributed to Zawahri, but believe it was recorded before the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the White House said. Meanwhile, a statement attributed to the Taliban chief said on Friday that the death of al-Zarqawi will not weaken the Iraqi resistance as there are thousands ready to take his place and "even accelerate" the struggle. |