Al-Qaida's No. 2 Criticizes Arab Leaders

Al-Qaida's deputy leader, Ayman al-Zawahri, is seen in this file photo made from videotape posted on the Internet on Dec. 7, 2005. In a Web posting Saturday, Dec. 30, 2006, al-Zawahri accused moderate Arab leaders of being traitors for cooperating with the United States. (AP Photo/AP Television News/ho) (AP)

CAIRO, Egypt -- Al-Qaida's No. 2 criticized the leaders of Egypt and the Palestinians, accusing them of betraying Islam and collaborating with the United States and Israel, according to an Internet statement published in his name Monday.

The statement could not be authenticated but it appeared on two Islamic Web sites known for publishing militant material.

Ayman al-Zawahri is quoted as accusing the Egyptian, Saudi Arabian and Yemeni governments of serving the interests of the United States, saying that Washington "bombs the Muslims in Afghanistan and Iraq."

Referring to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and a senior member of his Fatah party, al-Zawahri is quoted as asking: "How is it possible for Mahmoud Abbas to be a brother of ours, or for Mohammed Dahlan to be a brother of ours, when they have grown fat on the bribes of the Jews and gifts of the Americans?"

The statement congratulates Islamic holy warriors around the world on the start of the feast of al-Adha and on "the defeat of the Americans and their crusader allies in Afghanistan and Iraq."

It was not clear when the statement was written. The only date it gave was December 2006 and its equivalent in the Islamic calendar.

It made no mention of events in the past few days that have made headlines around the Arab world, such as the execution of Saddam Hussein on Saturday and the Ethiopian forces' entry into the Somali capital, Mogadishu, last week.