Al-Zawahri Appears In New Tape

Ayman al-Zawahri, known sale Inflatable Pirate Ship as the brains behind the Al Qaeda terror network, appeared in a new videotape aired on Al-Jazeera on Thursday.

Usama bin Laden's right-hand man claimed mujahedeen, or holy fighters, have taken control of much of Afghanistan and driven U.S. forces into the "trenches."

Southern and eastern Afghanistan have been wracked by the fiercest resistance to U.S. military forces and there have been frequent attacks on Afghan election workers preparing for an Oct. 9 presidential vote.

"The Americans are huddled in their trenches, refusing to come out to confront the holy warriors despite the holy warriors' provoking them by shelling, shooting and cutting the routes around them, and their defense concentrates on strikes from the air which wastes America's money in kicking up dust," al-Zawahri said in excerpts of the tape aired by the Qatar-based station.

Al-Zawahri also said the peacekeeping force still in Afghanistan has been "burnt by the shells of the holy warriors and expect martyrdom operations all the time, with God's help."


However, no Afghan provincial government is considered in jeopardy of falling and Afghan and U.S. forces have largely controlled the country.

The tape was released two days before the third anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks staged by Al Qaeda.

Wearing a white turban , the Egyptian surgeon said "southern and eastern Afghanistan have completely become an open field for the mujahedeen." An assault rifle was leaning on the wall behind him.