The British government has rejected a threat by al-Qaeda of more attacks, two weeks after two failed bombings.
Al-Qaeda's second-in-command, Ayman al-Zawahri, issued the threat yesterday in an audio tape posted on the Internet and criticised Britain's decision to award author Salman Rushdie a knighthood.
"I say to (Former British Prime Minister Tony) Blair's successor that the policy of your predecessor drew catastrophes in Afghanistan and Iraq and even in the centre of London," the Egyptian cleric said. "If you did not learn the lesson then we are ready to repeat it, God willing, until we are sure you have fully understood."
Downing Street spokesman
It was not immediately possible to verify the authenticity of the 20-minute tape, which appeared on a website used by al-Qaeda-linked groups with a still photograph of Zawahri.
The recording came just days after two car bombs were found in London and a fuel-packed jeep was rammed into Glasgow Airport in Scotland - botched attacks which Prime Minister Gordon Brown said were associated with al-Qaeda.
Zawahri also attacked Britain's controversial decision to award Mr Rushdie a knighthood, saying Queen Elizabeth had sent a clear message to Muslims by honouring a novelist who had insulted Islam, and said the group was preparing a response. Mr Rushdie is best known for his novel "The Satanic Verses", which outraged many Muslims and prompted death threats that forced him to live in hiding for nine years.
Zawahri said the least Muslims could do was to boycott British goods to protest Mr Rushdie's knighthood.
A spokesman for Mr Brown rejected Zawahri's comments. "We do not intend to dignify this with a response," the spokesman said. "As the prime minister has said, the British people will remain united, resolute and strong and we will not allow terrorists to undermine the British way of life."
The Foreign Office said it would maintain efforts to thwart terrorists. "We will continue to tackle the threat from international terrorism as a priority in order to prevent the risk of attacks on British interests at home and overseas, including from al-Qaeda," a spokesman said. "These terrorists care nothing for the peoples of the Middle East, Iraq and Afghanistan. Al-Qaeda has been killing civilians of all faiths, including many fellow Muslims, for years."
On the knighthood of Mr Rushdie, the Foreign Office reiterated that it was awarded purely in recognition of his literary achievements. "The Government have already made clear that Rushdie's honour was not intended as an insult to Islam or the prophet Mohammed," the spokesman said. "It was a reflection of his contribution to literature throughout a long and distinguished career."
Agencies