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Audio and video messages by al-Qaida No. 2
Sat, Jul 14, 2007
Reuters

A glance at 10 purported audio and video messages by al-Qaida No. 2 Ayman al-Zawahri in 2007, and the amount of time it took for the terror network to get them out to the world:

Jan. 5 -- Audio tape calling on Islamic fighters in Somalia to carry out suicide attacks on Ethiopian forces, in the country in support of the recognized Somali government. The first direct fighting between the Islamic courts and troops from Ethiopia began Dec. 19, 17 days before the audio appeared.

Jan. 22 -- Video mocking U.S. President George W. Bush's plan to send 21,000 more troops to Iraq, and challenging him to send "the entire army." Bush outlined plans for the troop surge on Jan. 9, 13 days earlier.

Feb. 13 -- Audio tape in which al-Zawahri calls Bush a liar, a gambler and a drunk. He also criticizes U.S. congressional Democrats, who were elected in November and took office in January, for marching into the same "abyss" as Bush, despite popular opposition to his policies.

Mar. 11 -- Audio tape blasting the Palestinian hardline group Hamas for selling out in agreeing to respect past peace deals with Israel during breakthrough talks with the more moderate Fatah in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on February 8, 31 days earlier.

May 5 -- Video mocking a bill passed by the U.S. congress tying funding for the war in Iraq to a timetable for withdrawal of troops. The bill was passed on Apr. 26, nine days earlier, but was vetoed by Bush on May 1. The video did not mention the veto, leading to speculation it was recorded between the bill's passage and the veto.

May 23 -- Audio tape paying homage to Taliban commander Mullah Dadullah, who was slain 11 days earlier.

June 25 -- Audio statement calling for Muslims to support Hamas in its takeover of the Gaza Strip from the more moderate Fatah. Hamas' takeover of Gaza was completed on about June 14, 11 days before the audio message was released.

July 5 -- Video tape calling on Muslims to support al-Qaida allied fighters in Iraq, and topple corrupt Arab and Muslim regimes in the Middle East and elsewhere.

July 10 -- Audio tape in which al-Zawahri threatens to retaliate against Britain for granting a knighthood to novelist Salman Rushdie. The knighthood was announced on June 16, or 24 days earlier.

July 11 -- Audio message in which al-Zawahri calls on Pakistanis to rise up in jihad in revenge for a bloody crackdown on a radical, Taliban-style mosque. The audio message, which was released with an accompanying video that included a still-photo of al-Zawahri, appeared just eight days after the standoff began, and just one day after the government stormed the compound.

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