WASHINGTON, Sept. 11 (UPI) -- Al-Qaida issued a threat against the United States on the eve of the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, aircraft terror attacks.
In a 1-hour, 16-minute video, al-Qaida deputy leader Ayman al-Zawahiri also threatened Britain and Israel on the Islamist Web sites where it was posted late Sunday night, CNN reported.
"Your leaders are hiding from you the true extent of the disaster," Zawahiri said. "And the days are pregnant and giving birth to new events, with Allah's permission and guidance."
In a general statement to Western countries, Zawahiri was dismissive of their major military interventions.
"We tell you not to concern yourselves with the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan -- these are doomed," he said. "You should worry about your presence in the Gulf and the second place they should worry about, is in Israel."
Zawahiri and leader Osama bin Laden have evaded capture since four passenger aircraft were used to kill nearly 3,000 people in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania in the 2001 attacks.
