BREAKING NEWS

Al Qaida commander backs Libyan rebels in taped message

A senior member of al Qaida urged Libyan rebels to continue their fight against Muammar Gaddafi and warned of the consequences of defeat, in a videotaped message posted on Jihadi websites, the Qatar-based Gulf Times reported on Sunday.
The message from Libya native, Abu Yahya al-Libi, marked the first time a top ranked al Qaida commander had commented on the uprising in Libya. Gaddafi has repeatedly blamed al Qaida for inciting the unrest against him.
“The Libyan people have suffered at the hands of Gaddafi for more than 40 years ... He used the Libyans as a testing ground for his violent, rambling and disgusting thoughts,” Abu Yahya stated.
He warned that "Retreating will mean decades of harsher oppression and greater injustices than what you have endured.”
Abu Yahya also accused the West, and the US in particular, of having supported oppressive Arab regimes at the expense of the people.
The taped message could not be independently authenticated, according to the Gulf Times report.