An al-Qaida member who escaped from a U.S. prison in Afghanistan last year appeared in a second video and urged Muslims to seek vengeance for the cartoons of Islam's Prophet Muhammad that have appeared in several European publications. Abu Yahia al-Libi, who broke out of prison in July, appeared in a video broadcast by the pan-Arab satellite channel Al-Arabiya last October in which he recounted how he and three other al-Qaida members, who also were shown in the recording, escaped from the facility.
Thursday's video, which was posted on a Web site used by Islamist militants, suggests that al-Libi, who appeared alone, was still alive earlier this year during the cartoon controversy that peaked in January and February. "Sharpen your swords, and get ready and make them drink the glass of death," al-Libi said in Arabic during the 35-minute recording. Shown in front of shelves filled with books, he had a long black beard and wore a black turban and camouflage fatigues. "We tell the state of Denmark, its sister Norway and France — the enemy of the veil, chastity and purity, which harmed the Prophet ... we wish to see you toppled," he said. |