Al Zawahiri Eulogizes Bali Bombers, Slams Saudi Rulers in New Audiotape
The 22-minute tape was released by al Qaeda's media wing al Sahab and is entitled "Martyrdom of The Heroes and the Rulers Treason."
Al Zawahri claims the three bombers "taught the crusaders a lesson they shall never forget and showed them that their transgression on the Muslim nation in Afghanistan and elsewhere, will not go by without a price." He addressed Muslims in Indonesia and elsewhere and urged them to join the "jihad."
The second half of al Zawahiri's statement was focused on the interfaith dialogue conference organized at the United Nations' headquarters in New York under Saudi auspices. Al Zawahri slammed Arab and Muslim countries who took part in the conference and accused them of turning it into an occasion for normalization talks with Israel.
Al Zawahiri also strongly criticised the Saudi ruling family for sponsoring the Arab Peace Initiative which according to him "recognizes the legitimacy of the state of Israel and denies Palestinians' right to most of their land." He blamed Saudi Arabia for helping the U.S. create the awakening councils to fight the insurgents in Iraq and urged young Saudi youths not to listen to the anti-jihad religious edicts of the Saudi scholars.
The tape included excerpts from interviews with Amrozi and Mukhlas brothers, as well as with Abdel Bari Atwan, the editor-in-chief of the London-based al Quds al Arabi newspaper, Saudi opposition figure Saad al Faquieh and Palestinian activist Azzam al Tamimi.
The tape was most likely recorded after November 13, as Zawahiri referred to the Interfaith Dialogue Conference which took place on November 12th.