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Video: Al-Qaida behind London blasts
Khan and al-Zawahri did not appear together in the tape, but shots of each were edited together. While their appearance together in an edited tape appeared to show some level of coordination, it would have been more significant had they appeared together in one portion — indicating that al-Zawahri was a hands-on commander who met directly with an attacker. Two U.S. officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the message's sensitive nature, said that any claim of responsibility did not necessarily indicate that al-Qaida planned or directed the attack.
In the video, al-Zawahri threatened the West with "more catastrophes" in retaliation for the policies of President Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair. "I talk to you today about the blessed London battle, which came as a slap to the face of the tyrannical, crusader British arrogance," said al-Zawahri, who appeared in a black turban and white robes with an automatic weapon leaning against the wall beside him. "It's a sip from the glass that the Muslims have been drinking from." Al-Zawahri and bin Laden are both thought to be hiding along the rugged Afghan-Pakistani border. Khan, a 30-year-old resident of the English city of Leeds, reportedly traveled to Pakistan before he died in the bombing of the London Underground train near Edgware Road. He spoke with a heavy Yorkshire accent in the tape, which showed him sporting a trimmed beard. The image resembled photos of him published after the deadly attacks. In London, a police spokeswoman said authorities would consider the tape "as
part of our ongoing investigation."
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