Al-Zawahiri: US has failed in Iraq

Apr. 18 - Al-Qaeda number two Ayman al-Zawahiri releases a new audiotape calling the invasion of Iraq a failure.

The recording was posted on a website frequently used for militant videos and audio messages but has not been verified.

The audiotape was released to mark the recent fifth anniversary of the US-led invasion of Iraq.

SOUNDBITE:
(Arabic) AL-QAEDA'S NUMBER TWO AYMAN AL-ZAWAHIRI:
"My lecture to you today is about two important issues. The first is the passing of five years of the American invasion of Iraq. The second issue is the economic plundering to which our Ummah in Egypt and elsewhere in Muslim lands have been subjected. As to what the American occupation of Iraq has gotten after five years, it is - by the grace of Allah - failure and defeat.

Petraeus went before congress to ask to postpone the withdrawal of the additional forces about seven weeks after its scheduled time, which is next July. Bush declared that he will give Patraeus all the time he needs, a stupid joke to cover the failure in Iraq, which allows Bush to escape the decision to withdraw forces.

By passing the problem to the next President, Bush is declaring the failure of the Crusader invasion of Iraq."