DUBAI, 29 September 2003 — Arabic satellite television channels broadcast yesterday an audio tape purporting to come from Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri, in which he urged Pakistanis to overthrow President Pervez Musharraf for “betraying” Islam. The speaker on the tape, which was aired by Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya channels, also urged Muslims around the world to fight what Zawahiri called the Christian-Zionist crusade “aimed at eradicating Islam and Muslims”.
The voice on the tape blasted the Pakistani president for aiding the United States in its war in Afghanistan against Al-Qaeda and the Taleban, and accused him of planning to send Muslim troops to Iraq “to be killed instead of American soldiers”. “Muslims in Pakistan must unite to oust this traitor and put in place a loyal leadership in Pakistan which defends Islam and Muslims,” the speaker said.
