Middle East: An audio tape attributed to al-Qaeda's deputy leader urged Muslims yesterday to organise resistance against "crusader America" and its allies throughout the world.
"We should not wait until US, British, French, Jewish, South Korean, Hungarian or Polish forces enter Egypt, the Arabian Peninsula, Yemen and Algeria before we resist," said the tape, attributed to Ayman al-Zawahri, Osama bin Laden's lieutenant.
"We can't wait or we will be eaten up country by country . . . People of knowledge and experience should organise their efforts and form a leadership for the resistance to combat the crusaders."
The tape, aired by Al Jazeera television, said resistance should carry on if al-Qaeda leaders were killed or arrested.
"Let us start resisting now. The interests of America, Britain, Australia, France, Poland, Norway, South Korea and Japan are spread everywhere. They all took part in the invasion of Afghanistan, Iraq or Chechnya or enabled Israel to survive."
US officials said they were analysing the tape to determine its authenticity. The voice sounded similar to previous messages by al-Zawahri. It was not clear when the tape had been made.
The speaker said Muslim youths should emulate insurgents in Iraq, where guerrillas are fighting US forces and the US-backed government, and in Afghanistan, where guerrillas loyal to the ousted Taliban government are stepping up violence ahead of next month's presidential election.
It called for attacks against Israel and its ally, the United States, to support the Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation.
"Defending Palestine is a legitimate issue and liberating Palestine is an Islamic duty for all, therefore Muslims cannot give up Palestine even if the whole world does so," the voice said.
"Limiting the battle to fighting only the Jews in Palestine, and leaving America without attacking it, will not restrain America and the crusaders against us."
The message continued: "The Americans decided more than 60 years ago to create Israel and did not hesitate in supporting it up to this day and they do not allow anyone to touch it or its ambitions.
"This is the age of the resistance of the Muslim nation after its governments let us down and knelt before the crusader occupier.