‘Beware of the Arab allies’ says al Qaeda

Published on Monday 13 February 2012 00:00

Al QAEDA leader Ayman al-Mr Zawhari has urged Syrians not to rely on Western or Arab governments in their uprising.

In an eight-minute video posted on the internet, entitled Onwards, Lions of Syria, the Egyptian-born Mr Zawhari also urged Muslims in Turkey, Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan to come to the aid of Syrian rebels confronting Assad’s forces.

“Wounded Syria still bleeds day after day, while the butcher, son of the butcher Bashar bin Hafiz (Hafez al-Assad), is not deterred to stop,” said Mr Zawhari, whom was filmed wearing his white turban and seated against a green curtain.

“But the resistance of our people in Syria despite all the pain, sacrifice and bloodshed escalates and grows,” he added.

A Muslim should help “his brothers in Syria with all that he can, with his life, money, opinion, as well as information”, Mr Zawhari said.

“Our people in Syria, don’t rely on the West or the United States or Arab governments and Turkey,” Mr Zawhari said in what is believed to be his second such message to Syrian protesters.

“You know better what they are planning against you. Our people in Syria, don’t depend on the Arab League and its corrupt governments supporting it.”

Claims surfaced over the weekend that al-Qaeda linked militants have moved from Iraq into Syria. Al-Qaeda’s ideology is Sunni Muslim – Sunnis form the majority of Syria’s people – and with Mr Zawhari’s latest statement, the group appears to be aiming for the kind of bloodshed it managed to wreak during the time of the worst years of Iraq’s insurgency.

Mr Zawhari took command of al Qaeda after Osama bin Laden was killed by last May.