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Length: 4:12
WOLF BLITZER: Let's get
to that new al Qaeda tape linking the terrorist
group's battle against the western world to the
Middle East crisis. Osama bin Laden's top lieutenant,
Ayman al-Zawahiri, lashing out at Israel's battles
against Hezbollah forces in Lebanon and Hamas
militants in Gaza. And he says al Qaeda will not stay
silent.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AYMAN AL-ZAWAHIRI, AL QAEDA NUMBER TWO: The dangerous
events going on in Gaza and Lebanon are proof to any
sane person that the Crusader/Zionist war is
targeting us. No one budged for 10,000 prisoners in
Israeli jails, however the whole world went up in
arms for three Israeli prisoners.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: The al-Zawahiri tape aired on Arab language
television station Al-Jazeera. Now let's bring in
CNN's Michael Ware. He's covering the warfare in
Beirut. He's reported extensively on al Qaeda in his
earlier days as "Time Magazine's" bureau chief in
Baghdad. Michael, this coalition, if you will,
between al Qaeda and Hezbollah and maybe Hamas, what
do you make of this videotape that just was released
by Ayman al-Zawahiri?
MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think, Wolf,
it's clear that al Qaeda feels that within its
jihadi, militant constituency it can't be seen to be
standing idly by. However, we know that Hezbollah and
Hamas and al Qaeda have had very prickly relations. I
mean, apart from some early reports in the early 90s,
during al Qaeda's Sudan days, when there are stories
of training exchanges between al Qaeda and Hezbollah,
largely they have not been partners.
They come from opposite sides of a political divide.
And in fact there has been much criticism going both
ways. And I think if you study what's said in this
tape today by al Qaeda's number two, he doesn't
specifically refer to Hezbollah and he doesn't
specifically refer to any geographic domain where al
Qaeda will become involved in this crisis.
In fact, he says they attack us everywhere. We shall
attack them everywhere. That says to me that he's
giving al Qaeda a license to respond against American
and perhaps Israeli interests in a domain much
broader than the current conflict here in Lebanon --
Wolf.
BLITZER: How much of this is related, this strain in
the past, at least, al Qaeda being largely Sunni
dominated, Hezbollah largely Shia dominated. The
sectarian strain that's clearly evident between
Sunnis and Shia in Iraq, how much is spilling over
among various terrorist groups?
WARE: Yes Wolf, you very much hit the point here. I
mean, that is the natural schism between these
groups. There's also issues about doctrine, tactics,
methodology. But fundamentally, this is a sectarian
divide. Now, in the early days of al Qaeda, we knew
they operated in Afghanistan in the 80s alongside
Shia groups, but as al Qaeda developed and matured,
as increasing Egyptian influence came to hold sway,
there was a growing anti-Shiaism.
But within classic al Qaeda, that led by Osama bin
Laden and Zawahiri himself, that's always been
moderated at least to some degree. I mean, we see an
ongoing, complicated relationship with Iran. However,
this new generation of al Qaeda -- that for which
Zarqawi, recently killed by American forces, was the
midwife -- is vehemently anti-Shia. That would
clearly be playing in here with Hezbollah.
However, don't discount the common enemy being
Israel. Al Qaeda has never really had traction on the
Israeli issue, the Palestine issue. They are looking
to capitalize on this now, but I suspect it won't be
in the area itself.
BLITZER: It gets rather complicated, all these moves.
Thanks very much, Michael Ware on the scene for us in
Beirut.