Oh Man I can't wait to find out how the conscirpy theorist spin this one. I mean poor Al-Qaeda:roll: , they carry out the nasty terrorist attack on North American soil and so many are in a rush to disbelieve it was them.Al-Qaeda's deputy leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, has blamed Iran for spreading the theory that Israel was behind the 11 September 2001 attacks.
In an audio tape posted on the internet, Zawahiri insisted al-Qaeda had carried out the attacks on the US.
He accused Iran, and its Hezbollah allies, of trying to discredit Osama Bin Laden's network.
Correspondents say the comments underline al-Qaeda's increasing public hostility towards Iran.
In a two-hour audiotape posted on an Islamist website, Osama Bin Laden's chief deputy responded to questions posted by al-Qaeda sympathisers.
In response to a question about persistent rumours in the Middle East that Israel was involved in the 9/11 attacks, Zawahiri said the rumour had begun on the Hezbollah television station, Al-Manar.
"The purpose of this lie is clear - [to suggest] that there are no heroes among the Sunnis who can hurt America as no-one else did in history, he said.
"Iranian media snapped up this lie and repeated it."
Sunni fears
Zawahiri went on to criticise Iran for co-operating with the US in its 2001 invasion of Afghanistan, that helped to oust the Taleban.
"Iran's aim here is also clear - to cover up its involvement with America in invading the homes of Muslims in Afghanistan and Iraq," he said.
This is the second verbal attack on Iran, a predominantly Shia Muslim country.
Earlier this month, in an audiotape marking the fifth anniversary of the fall of Iraq's leader Saddam Hussein, the al-Qaeda deputy accused Iran of planning to annexe southern Iraq and the eastern part of the Arabian peninsula.
BBC security correspondent Rob Watson says such messages appear designed to play on Sunni fears throughout the region of growing Iranian influence, and to present al-Qaeda as the best bulwark against Tehran.
I can just imagine the conservation.
Loonie 1# "911 was an inside job!"
Loonie 2# "911 was a Jewish frame job!"
Al-Qaeda rep "No guys, seriously it was us! We did it! We got tapes of the planning session, the guys who did it were self admited agents of our group, our big boss Osama talks about approving it on this tape! It was US!"
Loonies 1# "Republician Shill!"
Loonie 2# "Islamphobic Jew Lover!"
Al Qaeda rep *cries*
