• Published 00:00 11.03.07
  • Latest update 00:00 11.03.07

Al-Qaida's no. 2 slams Hamas for agreeing to unity government

Bin Laden deputy Al-Zawahri says Islamic group 'has made a mockery of Muslims' minds and feelings.'

By Yoav Stern

Al-Qaida deputy head Ayman al-Zawahiri sharply criticized Hamas on Sunday for agreeing to respect past accords with Israel as part of the national unity government agreement sponsored by Saudi Arabia in Mecca.

According to an audio recording broadcast on Al-Jazeera, minutes before Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas ended their meeting in Jerusalem, Zawahiri blamed Hamas for having "fallen in the swamp of surrender."

"I'm sorry to face the Islamic community with the painful truth, to offer condolences for the leadership of Hamas," Zawahiri said.

"Hamas has made a mockery of Muslims' minds and feelings by saying that the accord reached in Mecca respects international agreements," he added. "What is happening in Palestine is another form of humiliation."

Calling the Hamas-led Cabinet a "farcical government," Zawahiri criticized its leadership, saying it had "sold out Palestine" and "gave up on ruling by Sharia [Islamic law]." It gave up all this, he said, "in order to be allowed to keep a third of government [seats]."

Hamas spokesman Osama Hamdan responded from Beirut, saying that the character of the criticism "is unbecoming to a Muslim."

"We will not accept criticism from someone who does not know what is going on nor is he updated on the details," Hamdan said.

Hamdan added that "Hamas has not given in nor will it give in...it is holding out under siege for a full year now. It is possible to lift the siege with one word that will recognize the Zionist entity, but Hamas has not accepted this and will not accept it."

Bin Laden's deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri. (AP)

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  • 34. 0 0
    # 30 pushtin's farcical reference
    • eric
    • 12.03.07
    • 22:12

    first) your link establishes no ties whatsoever between the palestinians and al qaida. as a matter of fact, one of the first things it says is that his goals were not the same as the plo's. to make the association you try to make is like saying americans are closely tied to al qaida because there were americans who joined it. its called stereotyping. second) to cite "wikipedia" as a source of factual information is like saying "cuz they said so". not to say that what's there isn't true...but do you see all the "edit" links to the right of each segment? that means anyone can go into this article and edit it. in other words; wikipedia is a free-for-all farce!

  • 33. 0 0
    Hamas and the company it keeps
    • David
    • 12.03.07
    • 20:42

    So Meshal goes to Tehran and kisses the Apostate on each cheek - or perhaps all four - collects a big fat check and praises the Shia. I'm sure that made Ayman really happy.

  • 32. 0 0
    So now pals is condemned for trying to make peace...
    • Infidel
    • 12.03.07
    • 06:58

    or has they become infidels just like me by Al qaida's standard. Al qaida is the greatest enemy to the people who loves peace. They should be destroyed by whatever means. Let's hope peace will come eventually for Israel and the pals.

  • 31. 0 0
    One Good Thing About Al-Zawahiri!
    • Yosemite
    • 12.03.07
    • 04:41

    As you can see in the photo. God has already painted a bullseye, on his forehead. However, aim low. Make him suffer first.

  • 30. 0 0
    The Truth about Palestine, Al Queda &Terror
    • Pushtin
    • 12.03.07
    • 04:40

    Anyone who wants to know the Truth about Palestine and Al Queda should read the article at the link below. Al Queda and Terror were the mastermind of a Palestinian Professor who was seeking revenge for the 6 day war, revenge against Isreal and the West. Anyone he taught, lectured, or preached to, listened to his cause and became his follower, became Al Queda... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdullah_Azzam

  • 29. 0 0
    All Roads lead to Palestinian!
    • Rad
    • 12.03.07
    • 04:25

    Thats strange, since Al Queda was masterminded by a Palestinian living in the Westbank, who became a University Professor and taught the guy who assassinated Egyptian President, became friends with Osama Bin Ladin and went on to produce the terror that is in the world today. However, the Egyptian president was assasinated after offering refuge to the Iranian King, who was forced to Flee when Kohmeni decided his reforms were to radical. Instersingly though, the current Kohmeni is not even born in Iran! Was he also decendant of Palestinian?

  • 28. 0 0
    Its a Cardboard cutout
    • boardy
    • 12.03.07
    • 04:20

    Has anyone noticed that this guy looks like a cardboard cutout?

  • 27. 0 0
    #14
    • TOBIA
    • 12.03.07
    • 04:05

    You can count on yourhand howmany moderate Muslims there are. The demostration out side UN against terrism is so loud you cant hear it

  • 26. 0 0
    HAVE NO FEAR
    • TOBIA
    • 12.03.07
    • 04:00

    There will be no unity government. The joke is getting old and stale. The Muslims think all the infidels are stupid

  • 25. 0 0
    Pawns
    • Richard
    • 12.03.07
    • 03:23

    Palestinians are pawns. They don’t realize that their Israeli neighbors could do more for them then all the “brothers” who want to keep them hungry in refugee camps.

  • 24. 0 0
    # 2 hey mozie
    • eric
    • 12.03.07
    • 02:15

    that's like saying the news media in the u.s. are complicit with and support everything bush does; because they attend his press conferences and they report his actions and views. al jazeera is the only major news reporting agency in the arab world that is semi-autonomous. where else would al qaida go to to be heard by arabs; the washington post? you also seem to be a bit naive in how things work. every government who is pursuing al qaida WANTS them to have a forum. the al qaida communiqués released through al jazeera are some of their best sources of information concerning al qaida and its leaders. also...i do believe that the tapes themselves are made available to the u.s. for analysis and intelligance gathering. you'll never know how many successful operations have been carried out based on info gleened from them...cuz our intelligence forces ain't saying...nor will they...and for the same reason they want them to keep coming. al jazeera does not support terrorism...

  • 23. 0 0
    hamas spokesman spoke out of turn
    • eric
    • 12.03.07
    • 01:49

    historically, no palestinian entity of any significance has ever been associated with al qaida or acknowledged any fellowship with it...despite al qaida's proclaimed support of their cause, which it does to woo them and to build popular support for their own cause in the arab world. hamas spokesman should simply have said "hamas does not exist for the pleasure of al qaida. our cause is the struggle of palestinian people; not the purpose of al qaida. instead he has given an answer that will fuel the fires of those who fail to make the significant distinction between the two. during israel's recent engagement with lebanon; hesbollah made that distinction quite clear when al qaida called for fighters to go to lebanon and hesbollah responded by saying in essence: "don't come here...we don't want you here...this battle is lebanon's...WE will fight it!" the response to al qaida by hamas should have been of similar sentiment.

  • 22. 0 0
    # 16 William
    • Lynn
    • 12.03.07
    • 01:20

    al Qaeda is now taking over in the south of Lebanon. There is an article to that effect in yalibnan.com.

  • 21. 0 0
    #6 American in Paris
    • Mozie
    • 12.03.07
    • 01:01

    It's different that Western media report the news that Al Jazeera has broadcast Al Qaeda's tape. But Al Jazeera receives the tape from a secret source, connected to the terror group obviously, and broadcasts Al Qaeda's rhetoric and incitement and publicizes their decree on this issue, which in this case, would not be disseminated without Al Jazeera in the first place.

  • 20. 0 0
    Who does Hamas work for?
    • William
    • 12.03.07
    • 00:09

    Hamas seems to think the Palestinians, but Al-Qaeda obviously thinks they work for the Wahabis. Now the truth comes out about what the Pals can expect. Sharia Law...more fighting...no peace?? Sounds more like Al_Qaeda is trying to bring a Somali-style regime to Gaza, against the wishes of the Pals themselves. The recent reports of a "Vice squad" bombing Internet shops is only the beginning...and nothing the average Pals have bargained for. What is obvious is what the Westerners have been saying all along - Arab regimes and ideologues, the UN, are cynically using the Pals for their own endeavors...and in the end, the Pals suffer and blame Israel. Such a sad spiral that takes many victims. But then again, Pals were never very good at choosing their friends well.

  • 19. 0 0
    #4 shimmy
    • tad
    • 12.03.07
    • 00:05

    LIAR, LIAR PANTS ON FIRE!

  • 18. 0 0
    #3 Brad
    • tad
    • 12.03.07
    • 00:03

    LIAR!

  • 17. 0 0
    # 10 From him and Osama
    • Lynn
    • 11.03.07
    • 23:50

    He is on video with Osama.

  • 16. 0 0
    #10, from the moon
    • Cipora Julianna Kohn
    • 11.03.07
    • 23:33

    Since he speaks in the name of Al Quida, and since he has been reported to be one of its founding members, there is no doubt that he is who he says he is. I do hope that moderate Muslims will win this war against the darker forces.

  • 15. 0 0
    #10, from the moon
    • Cipora Julianna Kohn
    • 11.03.07
    • 23:33

    Since he speaks in the name of Al Quida, and since he has been reported to be one of its founding members, there is no doubt that he is who he says he is. I do hope that moderate Muslims will win this war against the darker forces.

  • 14. 0 0
    #10, from the moon
    • Cipora Julianna Kohn
    • 11.03.07
    • 23:32

    Since he speaks in the name of Al Quida, and since he has been reported to be one of its founding members, there is no doubt that he is who he says he is. I do hope that moderate Muslims will win this war against the darker forces.

  • 13. 0 0
    twin brothers
    • garrick
    • 11.03.07
    • 23:23

    The angry response by Al-Zawahiri shows that Hamas is nothing but his ideological twin gone temporarily, and, perhaps, calculatingly, astray.

  • 12. 0 0
    AN ADVICE FOR ZAWAHIRI
    • JACKAL
    • 11.03.07
    • 23:14

    Why don't you take the gun placed behind you in the photo, get out of the rat hole in which you are hiding, and kill some zionists occupying the Palestine. If you escape then you would be a 'ghazi' and if killed a 'shaheed'. I think that way of action is far better than lecturing HAMAS. By the way, how is your boss?

  • 11. 0 0
    Shimmiy # 4
    • Mary
    • 11.03.07
    • 23:08

    First of all. I didn't say that Hamas is right nor wrong. 2nd, if Hamas and its suiside bombers are terorist, what makes of the disiplant Israeli soldier who is using Palestinian kids as human shields. 3rd, where were you and your parents and grand parents for the last 2000 years. You just woke up to claim the land. give me a break please.

  • 10. 0 0
    #5
    • From the Moon
    • 11.03.07
    • 22:57

    And chance that some of average Muslims come closer to shave him. He speaks for himself and very few persons. Majority of Muslims need and want peace. By the way, from where came information he is a member of Al Qaeda? To me all reminds on putting all criminal Italians to mafia even many are not connected to it or putting all Americans into CIA. I guess, 'Al Qaeda' construction has media attention and power as cobra to hypnotize than turn people in wild animals. The myth of Al Qaeda and reality of diverse groups with different aims: political, anarchic, revengeful- do not forget thousands of family members victims from Iraq/Afganistan and all homeless, raped and blood thirsty, fundamental Islamic etc.

  • 9. 0 0
    How Dare Al-Zawahri Admonish Hamas Publicly Like This ...
    • Lavi
    • 11.03.07
    • 22:51

    Don't they know by now that even Hamas' most liberal inference of them adopting international agreements is nothing but another of their religiously-sanctioned deadly lies to the infidels to further their covert agenda of delivering an ultimate death blow to Israel? Al-Zawahri hasn't been reading his Koran lately!

  • 8. 0 0
    al Zawahri
    • Lynn
    • 11.03.07
    • 22:31

    apoplectic over peace. Losing to the enlightened age of the world. I congratulate the Pals for pssing him off!!

  • 7. 0 0
    Looks like catch 22 for Hamas
    • Dave
    • 11.03.07
    • 22:30

    Hamas is caught in a typical catch 22 political predicament. If they compromise they'll anger extremists like Al-Qaida and their own supporters even though they're extremist themselves, but if they hold steadfast in their intransigent convictions they'll anger the west, the US and even Fatah. So whatever they do they'll be severely criticized and condemned. Looks good on you Hamas. I'm lovin' it!! LOL

  • 6. 0 0
    How is aljazeera complicit?
    • American in Paris
    • 11.03.07
    • 22:16

    I fail to see how aljazeera is complicit: it reports the news, and al-zawahri's tape was definitely news. After all, the Israeli and Western press reported it too! Second, the English version of aljazeera gives a fresh and very moderate perspective to viewers. Some Israelis say its Arab version is more biased, which may be true, but if that is so, I would like to some more exposes. In any case, aljazeera does not appear to support terrorists at all: quite the contrary!

  • 5. 0 0
    Al Zawahari
    • Cipora Julianna Kohn
    • 11.03.07
    • 22:08

    Eventually you will lose the propaganda war. It is just a matter of time.

  • 4. 0 0
    ok mary, THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE
    • shimmy
    • 11.03.07
    • 22:05

    there is no difference between the two.both are terror groups who have no respect for life hence the suicide missionos with the aim of killing "infidels" and to spread islam by the sword the way muhammed did. hamas has killed so many, fatah has stolen so much money, fatah has had and still does a revolving door regarding terror. ansmer me this: the plo was founded circa 1964-65 with the intnetion of liberating palestine. wait israel did not beat her enemies and counquer land until 1967. so what were they liberating in 1965 and prior? they want to drive us to the sea. this will never happen as we marched already once to our deaths with the world watching in silence. long live israel and i am glad to be one of her many brave and proud citizens who stand guard over her when called to action!

  • 3. 0 0
    Mary
    • Brad
    • 11.03.07
    • 22:01

    If Hamas is there to free Palestine of the occupation, then Hamas's goal is to eliminate Palestinians from Jewish lands. The Jews were there first. That is indisputable. That the Jews did not leave Palestine freely is also indisputable. That since the 1 to 3rd century diaspora there have always been a small Jewish presence is also indisputable. Palestinians are hence indisputably the occupiers.

  • 2. 0 0
    Al Jazeera is complicit.
    • Mozie
    • 11.03.07
    • 21:47

    Why give them Al Qaeda a pulpit and broadcast their propoganda? The tactic of terrorists is to kill and intimidate. Al Jazeera happily helps them communicate their edicts like a partner in crime.

  • 1. 0 0
    Hams Vs Alqaida
    • Mary
    • 11.03.07
    • 21:28

    Mr. Alzawahiri is ignorant or he lost his senses. Hamas is Palestinian and its purpose is to liberate from the occupation, have their statehood and that would be the end of their struggle on the other hand, Al-Qaida, is an organization that swore to change the whole world into a Muslim world. It?s totally two different ideologies.