THE US: Al Qaeda's deputy leader, Ayman al-Zawahri, said in a videotape broadcast yesterday that al-Qaeda would continue to attack the United States until Washington changed its policies towards the Muslim world.
"We are a nation of patience and we will continue fighting you (US) until the last hour," Zawahri said in the excerpts of the tape which were aired by Arab satellite television Al Jazeera.
"Our final advice to America, although I know they will not heed it: you must choose between two methods in dealing with Muslims. Co-operate with them with respect and based on mutual interests, or deal with them as free loot, robbed land and violated sanctity," he said.
Egyptian-born Zawahri is Osama bin Laden's right-hand man and has been pictured travelling with the al-Qaeda leader through Afghanistan. He is on the FBI's list of its 22 "most-wanted terrorists".
The latest video, in which Zawahri wears a white turban and has an automatic rifle next to him, appears to have been taped before the US presidential elections because he said it did not matter to al-Qaeda whether President Bush or Democratic challenger Mr John Kerry won.
"The two candidates are competing for Israel's favour - that is, competing for the crime against the Muslim nation in Palestine which has lasted for 87 years to continue. This proves that there is no solution with America except to force it to submit to what is right through force," he said.