Ayman al-Zawahri, the Egyptian physician, says Palestinian figurehead Mahmoud Abbas/Abu Mazen is getting fat on the bribes of the Jews and Americans.

CAIRO, Egypt - Al-Qaida’s deputy leader has criticized Palestinian and other Arab leaders, accusing them of betraying Islam and collaborating with the United States and Israel, according to an Internet statement posted in his name Monday.

The statement, purportedly from Ayman al-Zawahri, congratulated Islamic holy warriors around the world on the feast of Eid al-Adha and on “the defeat of the Americans and their crusader allies in Afghanistan and Iraq.”

The message could not immediately be authenticated, but it appeared on two Islamic Web sites known for publishing militant material.

The most communicative of al-Qaida’s leaders, al-Zawahri appeared to be trying to encourage militants — those fighting and those in prison — but his message offered nothing in the way of new ideas or policies. [No new ideas or policies? Oh well, back to the beheading and bombing. —ed.]

Referring to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and a senior member of his Fatah party, al-Zawahri asked: “How is it possible for Mahmoud Abbas to be a brother of ours, or for Mohammed Dahlan to be a brother of ours, when they have grown fat on the bribes of the Jews and gifts of the Americans?”

UPDATE at 1/1/07 5:43:06 pm:

And in case you’re tempted to believe the relentless propaganda coming from Islamist groups promoting the repression of women, Ayman has some clarifying comments: Veil-wearing Muslim women are part of our fight - al-Qaeda chief.

AL-QAEDA’S deputy leader said yesterday that any Muslim woman who wears the veil in Western countries is a supporter in what he described as a fight between Islam and “Zionist Crusaders”.

Ayman al-Zawahri issued what amounted to an al-Qaeda New Year message to the world in an audio tape posted on the internet , calling on militant groups in Iraq to unite and urging Palestinians not to co-operate with the Palestinian Authority.

The authenticity of the tape could not be verified, but it was posted on websites used by al-Qaeda and other insurgent groups in Iraq and the voice of speaker sounded like Zawahri’s. The statement - said to have been issued by al-Qaeda’s “media arm” al-Sahab - praised Muslim women who insist on wearing the Islamic veil despite pressures not to in some Western lands.

He described anyone doing that as “a soldier in the battle of Islam against the Zionist- Crusader attack”.