Al-Qaida threatens attack on Britain

LONDON, July 10 (UPI) -- Ayman al-Zawahiri, Osama bin Laden's top aide, promises a "very precise response" to Britain's award of a knighthood to Salman Rushdie.

Zawahiri made the threat in a 20-minute recording posted on an Islamist Web site, the BBC reported. The speech had the title "Malicious Britain and its Indian slaves."

Rushdie's 1989 novel, "The Satanic Verses," was perceived by many Muslims as anti-Islamic, and sparked massive protests and a fatwa from Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran, calling for the novelist's assassination. In his speech, Zawahiri called the knighthood "an insult to Islam."

Zawahiri, a doctor and native of Egypt, is believed to be hiding along the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan with other top al-Qaida leaders.

Zawahiri said Britain has already suffered "tragedy" because of its Mideast policy in London as well as in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"And if you did not understand, listen: We are ready to repeat it for you," he said, addressing Prime Minister Gordon Brown.