Zawahri: War cry

Dubai, March 5 (Reuters): Al Qaida’s deputy leader Ayman al-Zawahri called on Muslims to attack the West in an audio tape posted on the Internet yesterday, urging similar strikes as those against New York, London and Madrid in recent years.

In a video of his remarks aired by Al Jazeera television, Zawahri also urged the Islamist militant group Hamas not to recognise peace deals signed by the Palestinian Authority with Israel.

He also called on Muslims to boycott countries where satirical cartoons of Prophet Mohammad had been published, including Denmark, Norway, France and Germany, and said that Muslims should prevent the West from “stealing Muslims’ oil”.

“(Muslims have to) inflict losses on the crusader West, especially to its economic infrastructure with strikes that would make it bleed for years,” said Zawahri, an Egyptian.

“The strikes on New York, Washington, Madrid and London are the best examples,” he said. “We have to prevent the crusader West from stealing the Muslims’ oil which is being drained in the biggest robbery in history.”

It was not clear if the tape was made before the failed al Qaida attack last month on a major Saudi oil facility.

“Reaching power is not a goal by itself... and no Palestinian has the right to give away a grain of the soil,” said Zawahri in comments directed at Hamas. “The secularists in the Palestinian Authority have sold out Palestine for crumbs... Giving them legitimacy is against Islam.”

The US state department dismissed the threats. “No taped video threats will weaken our commitment to work with out allies to combat international terrorism and violent extremism, or to bring to justice those responsible for the murder of innocent civilians,” said Justin Higgins, a state department spokesman.

Zawahri also urged Muslims to give financial support to Islamic fighters, saying they were on the “front line” in defending Islam.