Al-Qaeda deputy leader Ayman al-Zawahri called on Muslims in a new audiotape released Monday to strike Jewish and American targets in revenge for Israel's recent offensive in the Gaza Strip.
The al-Zawahri tape came on the heels of a message from Osama bin Laden, who called for a holy war to liberate the Palestinian territories. Together, the two messages appeared to be a more direct push by al-Qaeda's leadership to use widespread anger over the Gaza violence to whip up support.
Bin Laden and al-Zawahri have frequently referred to the Palestinian cause in their past messages, but usually in broader terms of liberating Jerusalem and denouncing Israeli violence. Their latest calls for attacks, however, had a more immediate and urgent tone.
The string of messages has raised concerns that al-Qaeda could be planning new attacks in the West — or is seeking to inspire its sympathizers to carry out violence. In another message last week, bin Laden warned of a "severe" reaction against Europe after Danish papers published a cartoon seen as insulting Islam's Prophet Muhammad.
The authenticity of the four-minute, 44-second audiotape could not be independently confirmed. But the voice on it resembled that of al-Zawahri on previous audio and videotapes confirmed to be his. It was posted on an Islamic militant website where al-Qaeda usually releases its statements, and a banner advertising the tape had the logo of al-Qaeda's media arm, Al-Sahab.
"Muslims, today is your day. Strike the interests of the Jews, the Americans, and all those who participated in the attack on Muslims," al-Zawahri said. "Monitor the targets, collect money, prepare the equipment, plan with precision, and then — while relying on God — assault, seeking martyrdom and paradise."
Israel launched a weeklong offensive in Gaza that ended in early March, seeking to put down Palestinian militants firing rockets against nearby Israeli towns. The Israeli assault killed more than 120 people, including many civilians. Three Israelis also were killed.
Call for wider attacks
Al-Zawahri said attacks should not be limited to places in Israel and the Palestinian territories.
"Today there is no room for he who says that we should only fight the Jews in Palestine," he said. "Let us strike their interests everywhere, just like they gathered against us from everywhere."
"Let them know that they will get blood for every dollar they spend in the killing of the Muslims, and for every bullet they fire at us, a volcano will turn back on them," he said, referring to American military aid and other ties to Israel. "They cannot expect to support Israel, then live in peace while the Jews are killing our fugitive and besieged people."
Israeli officials did not immediately respond to repeated messages seeking comment.
The Egyptian-born Al-Zawahri also referred to the publishing of the cartoon seen as insulting Islam's prophet. The cartoons, which sparked deadly riots across the Muslim world in 2006 after they were first published, were reprinted last month.
"They will never be able to insult and make a mockery out of our Prophet, peace and prayers of Allah upon him," al-Zawahri said.
Ben Venzke, head of IntelCenter, a U.S. group that monitors al-Qaeda message traffic, said in an e-mail that the "direct use of language and sense of urgency" in al-Zawahri's call for attacks — alongside bin Laden's audiotapes last week — "is cause for concern that al-Qaeda may be moving closer to executing a large-scale attack against EU, American and/or Jewish interests."
But Venzke said that in the past sometimes more than a year has passed between an al-Qaeda threat and an attack, making it difficult to tell when a strike could come.
In his audiotape posted to the internet last week, bin Laden said, "Palestine cannot be retaken by negotiations and dialogue, but with fire and iron."
There has been little sign in the past of direct involvement by al-Qaeda militants in Israeli-Palestinian violence, though Israeli officials and the government of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas have warned that the terror network's presence in the area is quietly growing.
