Delusional Zawahiri Accuses Iran of Collaborating With the U.S.

This is what happens when you spend too much time hiding in caves and avoiding airstrikes. Now with this release just prior to the anniversary of 9/11, there still is no sign of the bloated Adam Gadahn, yet another sign his sorry ass is dead.

In a video issued to mark the anniversary of the September 11 2001 terror attacks, al-Qaeda yesterday accused Iran of collaborating in a "crusader" war conducted by the west against Islam.

Ayman al-Zawahiri, the terror group's deputy leader, attacked Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on the tape, sections of which were aired by broadcaster Al Jazeera.

Mr Zawahiri said: "The [leader of Iran] collaborates with the Americans in occupying Iraq and Afghanistan and recognises the puppet regimes in both countries, while he warns of death and destruction to anyone who touches an inch of Iranian soil."

Al-Qaeda, a Sunni muslim organisation, has only this year started criticising Iran - which is predominantly Shia. Mr Zawahiri also said Shias had failed to make a call to arms against the "American crusader invaders".

Diaa Rashwan, an expert on militant Islamic groups at the Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies, said: "I believe this [video] is connected to the situation in Iraq where al-Qaeda is on the defensive. The Iranian influence in Iraq is very noticeable. Iran backs the Shia parties and now the Sunni groups in the country have also been moving against al-Qaeda."