Top Al Qaeda member Ayman al-Zawahiri has pledged to fight the United States until it changes its policies regarding Muslims.
"We... will fight you, god willing, until the last minute," al-Zawahiri, Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden's right-hand man, said in a tape broadcast by the Al-Jazeera network.
He said there are two ways to deal with Muslims -- "either with respect, or as if our lives and property are available for you to invade".
The tape was recorded before the US presidential election on November 2, in which President George W Bush defeated his Democratic challenger John Kerry.
"You can elect Bush, Kerry or Satan himself, it doesn't matter to us," he said. "What's important to us are the US policies toward Muslims."
Al-Zawahiri criticised Egypt for its human rights record and Saudi Arabia for providing staging areas for foreign planes to launch attacks against Muslims.
He also criticised Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf for his acceptance of Israel as demonstrated in a September speech to the United Nations General Assembly.
More from rediff