Al-Qaida to defend Lebanese brothers

Al-Qaida to defend Lebanese brothers

In a taped message broadcast by al-Jazeera television, Ayman al-Zawahri, second in command to Osama bin Laden, said al-Qaida now saw "all the world as a battlefield open in front of us."

The Egyptian-born physician said the Hezbollah and Palestinian fighting against Israel would not be ended with "cease-fires or agreements."

Al-Zawahri wore a gray robe and white turban. A picture of the burning World Trade Center was on the wall behind him along with pictures of two other militants.

The Arab statellite broadcaster appeared not to have transmitted the entire tape, using instead selected quotes interspersed with commentary from an anchor, the AP reports.