al-Zawahri, a Cave, a Camera, Propaganda Magic

New al-Qaida Video Released

Sep 20 01:27 AM US/Eastern

CAIRO, Egypt (AP) - Al-Qaida's deputy leader Ayman al-Zawahri said the United States was being defeated in Afghanistan, Iraq and other fronts in a new video released Thursday, the latest in a series put out by the terror network.

The video came days after Osama bin Laden released two messages to mark the Sept. 11 anniversary—including his first new appearance in a video in nearly three years.

The 80-minute video posted on Islamic militant Web sites Thursday was in a documentary style, touting al-Qaida's activities in various areas, including Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia and North Africa.

"What they claim to be the strongest power in the history of mankind is today being defeated in front of the Muslim vanguards of jihad six years after the two raids on New York and Washington," al-Zawahri said, speaking in what appeared to be an office, with shelves of religious books and an automatic rifle leaning against them.

"The Crusaders themselves have testified to their defeat in Afghanistan at the hands of the lions of the Taliban," he said. "The Crusaders have testified to their own defeat in Iraq at the hands of the mujahideen, who have taken the battle of Islam to the heart of the Islam world."

The latest video included audiotapes from bin Laden, but it was not immediately clear if they were new, said IntelCenter, a U.S. counterterrorism group that monitors militant messaging and first uncovered the video.

Al-Qaida videos often include audio or video from old speeches that have been previously released. Thursday's video begins with the voice of Sept. 11 hijacker Mohammed Atta in a cockpit audiotape, first released by the 9-11 Commission in 2004.

"Nobody move. Everything will be OK. If you try to make any move you will endanger yourself and the airplane. Just stay quiet," Atta is heard telling people on board American Airlines Flight 11, which crashed into the World Trade Center.