US charges Al-Qaeda 'hypocrisy' in latest message

0 Comments | AFP, July, 2006

WASHINGTON (AFP) — The White House said it was "not surprised" by Al-Qaeda second in command Ayman al-Zawahiri's threats against Israel but that his stated concerns about Muslims were hypocritical.

"Many of the things that he has done have led to the murder of Muslims around the world by his own jidahists," said spokesman Tony Snow, who underlined "a certain amount of hypocrisy" in Zawahiri's latest videotape.

Zawahiri warned the network would carry out attacks against Israel and its US backers to avenge the Israeli offensives against Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, in a videotape aired Thursday by Arabic television channel Al-Jazeera.

"It is hardly new for Mister Zawahiri, from his place in hiding, to issue threats," said Snow, who said US officials had yet to...