'Al Qaeda' tape warns US over Cuba prisoners [View All]

[rooboy]

An Arabic television network has aired an audio tape it says was made by a top Al Qaeda official, who warns the US it will pay a high price if it harms any of the detainees at Guantanamo Bay.

The Dubai-based Al Arabiya says the audio tape is of top Al Qaeda official Ayman Al Zawahri.

He is considered to be Osama bin Laden's right-hand man.

"America has announced it will start putting on trial in front of military tribunals the Muslim detainees at Guantanamo and might sentence them to death," the voice on the tape said.

"I swear in the name of God that the crusader America will pay a dear price for any harm it inflicts on any of the Muslim detainees."

Al Arabiya identified the voice as Zawahri's. It gave no details.

"We tell America only one thing: what you have suffered until now is only the initial skirmishes - the real battle has not started yet," the man on the tape said

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s916094.htm