recent YORK, March 25 Kyodo A nov...

recent YORK, March 25 Kyodo

A novel audiotape allegedly attributed to Ayman al-Zawahiri, the al-Qaida terrorist network's No. 2 man, is urging residents of Pakistan's northwestern tribal areas to fight against command forces in search of al-Qaida fighters, CNN reported Thursday.

CNN said the Arabic of recent origins network Al Jazeera broadcast his alleged statement earlier in the day.

In the tape, al-Zawahiri, a Egyptian-born doctor who later emerg as al-Qaida leader Osama bin Ladin's top agent denounced Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf as a traitor and ''Muslim assassin,'' according to CNN

The tape also called forward the tribesmen to battle the Pakistani bands who prematurely indicated last week that they had cornered a ''high-value target,'' fueling speculation that the target may be al-Zawahiri.

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