Tape voice 'probably' that of bin Laden's top deputy: CIA

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, February 25, 2004

Tape voice 'probably' that of bin Laden's top deputy: CIA

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The Central Intelligence Agency(CIA) said Tuesday that a technical analysis of two audiotapes warning of more terrorist attacks suggested that the voice is "probably" that of Ayman al-Zawahiri, al-Qaida's second in command.

The audiotapes, aired on the al-Arabiya and al-Jazeera Arabic-language TV networks Tuesday, lashed out at US President George W.Bush and criticized France's push for a ban on Islamic head scarves in schools.

Both tapes were attributed to al-Zawahiri, Osama bin Laden's top deputy.

In the tape aired by the Qatar-based satellite al-Jazeera, the speaker described Bush as spreading false information in the United States, propagating fear and frustration in the Middle Eastern region and appointing corrupt leaders.

The tape warned of more attacks of the scale of Sept. 11, 2001,saying al-Qaida is still waging jihad and "brandishes the banner of Islam against the Zionist-crusader campaign."

In the audiotape broadcast on the Dubai-based al-Arabiya satellite TV channel, the speaker described the French government's efforts to ban head scarves in schools as "part of the West's campaign of hatred against Islam."

The head scarf bill was passed by the lower house of the FrenchParliament earlier this month and will go to the French Senate next month.

The two TV networks airing the tapes said they were confident the voice was that of al-Zawahiri.

CIA Director George Tenet said at a Senate hearing Tuesday thatthe al-Qaida terror network is significantly weakened but catastrophic attacks of the scale of Sept. 11, 2001, "remain within al-Qaida's reach."

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