Al-Qaida offers 'open interview'
The terrorist group's second-in-command has offered to answer questions posted before January 16th
Thursday, 20, Dec 2007 10:23
Al-Qaida second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahiri has offered to answer questions posted on the website of the terrorist's group media wing.
Announcements on the portal where videos from the militant group are usually uploaded stated that the wanted man had invited citizens, journalists and organisations to post their questions on the website by January 16th.
Mr al-Zawahiri urged participants in the "open interview" to keep the questions short and precise, adding that he aimed to reply to queries as soon as he could.
In his most recent video the senior leader of the Islamist group called the handover of Basra province by British troops to Iraqi forces an attempt to "flee" the country.
Furthermore he said fighters belonging to al-Qaida were gaining the upper hand across the country and that the transfer of control to local forces was proof of this.
He also claimed the US was trying to deceive its own people about progress made in the Middle Eastern country through its "gigantic propaganda machine" and compared the present situation facing American forces in Iraq to that tackled during the Vietnam war.
Mr al-Zawahiri, who has been in hiding since the invasion of Afghanistan, has released 16 videos this year and is regarded as one of the spokesmen for the terrorist group.