Al Qa'ida group calls for holy war in Egypt

Almaty. February 9. Kazakhstan Today - Al-Qaida-front group has called on Egyptian protesters to wage holy war and push for a government based on Islamic law, Kazakhstan Today reports.

The statement, which appears to be the first reaction of any group affiliated with Al-Qa'ida to the ongoing protests in Egypt, was issued on jihadist forums on February 8, the US-based SITE monitoring service said, Heraldsun reported.

The message, addressed to the protesters, says that the "market of jihad" has opened in Egypt and "the doors of martyrdom have opened," and every able-bodied man must participate.

"Your jihad," the message said, is in support of Islam, the weak and oppressed in Egypt, for "your people" in Gaza and Iraq, and "for every Muslim who was touched by the oppression of the tyrant of Egypt and his masters in Washington and Tel Aviv," read a translation of the text provided by the SITE Intelligence Group.

Protestors in Cairo yesterday staged the biggest show of defiance against Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in the three-week-old revolt.

Meanwhile, Egypt's Vice President Omar Suleiman has warned that "we can't put up with" continued protests, saying the crisis must end soon in a sign of increasing impatience with 16 days of mass demonstrations, Heraldsun reported.

Suleiman said on Tuesday there would be "no ending of the regime" and no immediate departure for President Hosni Mubarak, according to the state news agency MENA, reporting on a meeting between the vice president and the heads of state and independent newspapers.

He told them the regime wanted dialogue to resolve protesters' demands for democratic reform, adding in a veiled warning, "We don't want to deal with Egyptian society with police tools."

At one point in the round-table meeting, Suleiman warned that the alternative to dialogue "is that a coup happens, which would mean uncalculated and hasty steps, including lots of irrationalities. We don't want to reach that point, to protect Egypt".

"The presence of the protesters in Tahrir Square and some satellite stations insulting Egypt and belittling it makes citizens hesitant to go to work," he said.

"We can't put up with this for a long time, and this crisis must be ended as soon as possible."

He warned that calls by some protesters for a campaign of civil disobedience are "very dangerous for society and we can't put up with this at all".

Earlier, tens of thousands of Egyptians again filled Cairo's Tahrir Square, keeping up the pressure on President Hosni Mubarak. AFP journalists overlooking the square confirmed it was the biggest gathering yet in the movement that began on January 25.

Witnesses said a march in Egypt's second city Alexandria also attracted record numbers.

Google executive Wael Ghonim, released on Monday after almost two weeks in detention, broke down in tears in an emotional TV interview about his 12 days in jail and then spoke to protesters from a stage in central Cairo.

"I don't feel guilty for the martyrs who died. I don't feel guilty for the officers who died. Those who should feel guilty are those who are looting this country," he said.

Many protesters in the crowd on Tuesday carried the symbols of Facebook and Twitter, which have become vital mobilising tools for the opposition thanks to online campaigners like Ghonim.

The 30-year-old father of two had administered a Facebook page that helped kick off the uprising before his arrest on January 28.

On Tuesday, Human Rights Watch said at least 297 people had been killed in Egyptian protests since January 28, but cautioned that the toll might be significantly higher.

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