[Al Arabiya Latest] Al-Qaeda's second-in-command Ayman Zawahiri called on Pakistanis to support jihadists in the country's tribal areas on Friday, saying it was "the" battle against the American "crusaders," US-based SITE Intelligence group reportedAyman al-Zawahri's comments were delivered in a video called "Path of Doom" posted on jihadist websites and monitored by SITE, a private group that follows jihadist activities on the Internet.
" The war in the tribal areas and Swat is an inseparable part of the Crusaders' assault on the Muslims the length and breadth of the Islamic world "Ayman al-Zawahri |
"This is the battle, briefly and plainly; and this is why anyone who supports the Americans and Pakistan Army--under any pretext, ploy or lie--is in fact standing with, backing and supporting the Crusaders against Islam and Muslims," he said.
He argued that the U.S. military was using the Pakistani army as its proxy in the tribal areas and Swat as a means to defeat the insurgency in neighboring Afghanistan.