Message praises dead Taliban leader

NEW YORK, Sept. 28 (UPI) -- An audio message, claiming to be from al-Qaida's No. 2 leader, praised Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud, who died in August in a drone attack.

"Baitullah managed to create a massive Jihadi movement that launched wars, ambushes and battles against the crusaders and their agents in Afghanistan," said the speaker in the message, claiming to be Ayman al-Zawahiri, CNN reported.

The 28-minute long message, appearing on Islamist Web site, said Baitullah Mehsud "also managed to clearly show that the Pakistani government is not Islamic but instead an infidel treacherous government working as a servant to the crusaders."

It was not clear why the message appeared two months after the death of the Taliban leader. CNN reported it obtained the message from IntelCenter, a think tank that tracks terror groups, adding it could not independently authenticate the contents of the message.

Zawahiri was shown dressed in white, seated in front of bookshelves.

"To the Americans I say, you killed Mehsud, but you will not kill Islam or the Jihad," the speaker in the message said. "Islam doesn't end by the death of one man."