Feb 13 (Reuters) - Al Qaeda's second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahri said U.S. President George W. Bush's troop build-up in Iraq is a gamble bound to fail, according to a Web statement published on Tuesday on a U.S.-based security Web site.

At least 39 messages have been broadcast by Osama bin Laden, Zawahri and their allies since Al Jazeera aired a statement by bin Laden after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

Following is a chronology of major statements attributed to Zawahri in the past six months.

July 27 - Zawahri, in video statement titled "The Zionist-Crusader war on Lebanon and the Palestinians", calls on Muslims to fight attacks on their countries.

Sept. 29 - Zawahri calls U.S. President George W. Bush a "lying failure" for saying progress had been made in the war on terrorism. He also calls the Pope a charlatan because of his remarks on Islam.

Dec. 20 - Zawahri says al Qaeda will continue to target Western countries so long as Muslims are under attack. He says Washington is scrambling for an exit from Iraq and Afghanistan, but is approaching the wrong parties.

-- He also says that elections would not free Palestinian land from Israeli occupation and that any path other than holy war would lead to "loss and defeat".

Dec. 31 - Zawahri calls on insurgents in Iraq to unite, and urges Palestinian Islamists not to cooperate with the Palestinian Authority.

-- He also hails any Muslim woman insisting on wearing the Islamic veil in the face of pressure in some Western countries as a "soldier in the battle of Islam against the Zionist-Crusader attack".

Jan 22, 2007 - Zawahri mocks Bush's plan to send more troops to Iraq.

"Why send 20,000 only? Why not send 50 or 100,000? Aren't you aware that the dogs of Iraq are pining for your troops' dead bodies?" he says.

-- Feb 13 - Zawahri says in a web statement that Bush's troop build-up in Iraq is a gamble bound to fail. Zawahri also says the people of nations that took part in wars against Muslim nations cannot be "absolved" of blame because they supported the leaders who made the decision to fight.

-- He also vows reprisals against Arab and Muslim countries that supported the U.S.-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

AlertNet news is provided by

Delicio.us  |   Digg  |   NewsVine  |   Reddit                                                                                  Permalink