By DPA
Washington : Osama bin Laden's deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, has called on Pakistanis to rise up against Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf following the storming of a mosque in Islamabad.
Al-Zawahiri, a native of Egypt, called the assault on the mosque a "despicable crime" and accused Musharraf of working on behalf of the "crusaders" – a reference to the West.
The videotape was translated by the IntelCenter, a firm near Washington, which has provided recordings of al-Zawahiri in the past.
"This is a message of blinding clarity to the Muslims in Pakistan," the Al Qaeda deputy said. "This crime can only be washed away by repentance or blood."
Pakistani forces stormed the controversial Lal Masjid (Red Mosque) Tuesday after a weeks-long standoff with extremists who had taken control of the facility and demanded that the country be governed under Islamic law.