Al Qaeda attacks poll

CAIRO – The deputy leader of the al Qaeda terror group, Ayman al-Zawahri, has come out against early elections in the Palestinian territories, saying in a video tape broadcast on Al Jazeera yesterday that voting would lead only to defeat and the right policy was armed struggle.

Entering the argument over Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s proposal for early elections to resolve the conflict between the Fatah and Hamas parties, al-Zawahri said the only way was armed struggle. “Any way other than holy war, will lead us only to loss and defeat,” al-Zawahri said.He described Abbas as “America’s man in Palestine,” and warned that if Palestinians accepted him as their president, it would be “the end of holy war.”The video was the 15th time this year that al-Zawahri has sent out a statement.In yesterday’s tape, he appeared exactly as in previous videos that have been authenticated by CIA analysts.He wore a black turban and white robe and pointed his finger at the camera for emphasis.As usual, he had a rifle behind his right shoulder that was leaning against a plain brown backdrop.In what appeared to be a reference to Abbas and his Fatah party, al-Zawahri said: “Those who are trying to liberate the Islamic territories through elections based on secular constitutions, or on decisions to hand over Palestine to the Jews, will not liberate one grain of sand of Palestine.”He also criticised the militant Hamas party – although he did not name it – for not pushing for an Islamic constitution before they agreed to take part in Palestinian elections.”Aren’t they an Islamic movement? Aren’t they campaigning for the word of God to be supreme?” he said.He said the “Islamic movement” (Hamas) should have taken part in the drafting of “an Islamic constitution for Palestine before entering any elections.”Al-Jazeera broadcast clips of the video in two successive news bulletins.When The Associated Press called Al-Jazeera’s headquarters in Qatar to ask how and when they received the tape, it was told there was no senior official present to answer the questions.The broadcast came two days after a posting on a militant Islamic Web site announced that a message from al-Zawahri was coming.His two previous videos were broadcast in September to mark the anniversary of al Qaeda’s attacks of September 11 2001.In them, he denounced the reinforced UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon and called US President George W Bush a liar.Nampa-AP”Any way other than holy war, will lead us only to loss and defeat,” al-Zawahri said.He described Abbas as “America’s man in Palestine,” and warned that if Palestinians accepted him as their president, it would be “the end of holy war.”The video was the 15th time this year that al-Zawahri has sent out a statement.In yesterday’s tape, he appeared exactly as in previous videos that have been authenticated by CIA analysts.He wore a black turban and white robe and pointed his finger at the camera for emphasis.As usual, he had a rifle behind his right shoulder that was leaning against a plain brown backdrop.In what appeared to be a reference to Abbas and his Fatah party, al-Zawahri said: “Those who are trying to liberate the Islamic territories through elections based on secular constitutions, or on decisions to hand over Palestine to the Jews, will not liberate one grain of sand of Palestine.”He also criticised the militant Hamas party – although he did not name it – for not pushing for an Islamic constitution before they agreed to take part in Palestinian elections.”Aren’t they an Islamic movement? Aren’t they campaigning for the word of God to be supreme?” he said.He said the “Islamic movement” (Hamas) should have taken part in the drafting of “an Islamic constitution for Palestine before entering any elections.”Al-Jazeera broadcast clips of the video in two successive news bulletins.When The Associated Press called Al-Jazeera’s headquarters in Qatar to ask how and when they received the tape, it was told there was no senior official present to answer the questions.The broadcast came two days after a posting on a militant Islamic Web site announced that a message from al-Zawahri was coming.His two previous videos were broadcast in September to mark the anniversary of al Qaeda’s attacks of September 11 2001.In them, he denounced the reinforced UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon and called US President George W Bush a liar.Nampa-AP