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Al-Qaida Decries Mideast Meeting

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The Associated Press

Published: December 15, 2007

CAIRO, Egypt - Al-Qaida's No. 2 Ayman al-Zawahri said in a new message Friday that last month's U.S.-sponsored Mideast peace conference was a "betrayal" of the Palestinians, the terror group's first reaction to the gathering.

The audiotape by Osama bin Laden's deputy was the latest al-Qaida attempt to rally Muslims using the widespread bitterness felt toward Israel over the Palestinian issue.

Al-Zawahri focused his anger against Egypt, a top U.S. ally and the first Arab country to sign a peace deal with Israel. He called on Bedouin tribes in his native country to rise up against the rule of President Hosni Mubarak.

The Nov. 27 peace conference in Annapolis, Md., relaunched Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations and was attended by most Arab nations. Participants included leading players Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Syria - despite their initial reluctance about a gathering many Arabs worried would not commit Israel to making concessions.

"The Annapolis meeting was held to turn Palestine into a Jewish state," al-Zawahri said in the 20-minute audio recording posted on an Islamic militant Web forum. The posting carried a still photo of al-Zawahri in a white turban against a backdrop photograph from the Maryland conference.

"The czar of Washington invited 16 Arab countries ... to sit in one room, at one table with the Israelis," al-Zawahri said, adding the conference "witnessed the betrayal deals to sell Palestine."

The authenticity of the tape could not be confirmed, but the voice was recognizable as al-Zawahri's. It was posted by al-Qaida's media arm, Al-Sahab, on a site where it usually releases messages.

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