Ayman al-Zawahiri, the Egyptian leader said to be a “lieutenant” of Osama bi-Laden, has released another video, which has been published on a number of Islamist sites. Abu Aardvark has the details:

It's a quite interesting video, or "videos" to be more accurate since the production includes two very different segments: one with Zawahiri in an office, with English subtitles, bashing Bush; and one with Zawahiri against a blank background, with no English subtitles, delivering an extended analysis of how the Pope's statements, America's war on terror, various French and other European actions, and Darfur fit together into a coherent and clear Crusader war against Islam.

I take it as significant that the second part of the video is not translated or subtitled - the message is for other Muslims, not for Americans - and that Zawahiri adopts simple white robes when addressing other Muslims.

Subtitles, eh? I suppose al-Zawahiri has figured out that not all of us have been studying Arabic. I wonder if he knows that the Department of Defense has been cutting off its own nose by firing qualified translators because their lifestyles might offend some knuckle-dragging fundies of our own? Probably so, all things considered they seem a bit wilier than Bu$hCo, don’t they?

But that’s one of the major problems with Bu$hCo and the fantasist wingnuts trying desperately to burn our Constitution and drag us back to the 10th century. Ideology always trumps common sense and intelligence.

Zawahiri lacks bin Laden's charisma, but at times - as in this video - he can actually [use] his lesser stature to his advantage. The first half of the video kind of reminds me of Eminem's rap battles at the end of 8 Mile, with Zawahiri going directly after Bush's perceived strengths (the war on terror, Iraq) with what is at least meant to be devastating mockery. Zawahiri addresses Bush directly as a peer, by implication elevating bin Laden above Bush's level. His critique of Bush is punctuated with refrains of "Bush, you lying charlatan", "Bush, can you be brave for once in your life", and so forth. [emph added] The English subtitles mean that when this part of the video is aired on CNN or Fox, the translators can't distort the message.

I find it hard to believe that Fox or CNN would deliberately supply a false translation, don’t you? I have a suspicion that the subtitles can be unmasked electronically before playing on US television, but then – what’s the point when the world knows there was a translation supplied? So I guess we won’t be hearing much about this from American media outlets.

Two important notes here. First, on Iraq, which will probably be misunderstood: when Zawahiri mocks Bush for withdrawing from Iraq, this probably does not mean that he actually wants Bush to withdraw from Iraq - the mockery is no doubt intended to infuriate Bush and goad him into keeping the troops in Iraq, right where al-Qaeda wants them. Those who conclude that Zawahiri's comments mean that we must remain in Iraq to deny al-Qaeda its victory are playing right into his hands. Second, Zawahiri is clearly trying to paint a sweeping portrait (as did bin Laden in January) of al-Qaeda on the march, scoring gains on all fronts. This is more bravado than reality - there's little sign that the increasingly radicalized and angry mainstream Arab and Muslim public is turning to al-Qaeda for leadership or inspiration - but the construction of this narrative of al-Qaeda's relentless ascension should be seen nevertheless as a core of al-Qaeda's current strategy. That, by the way, is also how I read the tape released on the internet last week by Muhajir, the new al-Qaeda leader in Iraq, which claimed a figure for jihadi deaths (6000) significantly higher than any reputable estimate: it's a boast, not a complaint; not a confession of weakness or struggles, but an attempt to magnify the role and importance of al-Qaeda in the Iraqi insurgency. If and when the US does actually withdraw from Iraq, al-Qaeda will no doubt try to claim victory; the American goal should be to deny it that ability, by minimizing al-Qaeda's role in the Iraqi arena rather than exaggerating it and lending credence to its claims.

There’s no question that it is in the interest of the Islamic fundamentalists to keep us engaged with the Iraqi tar baby. Each day we struggle harder and bleed a little more. And while they are taking greater casualties than we are, they have less to lose, because Mr Bu$h’s short-sighted, immature personality chose a war of aggression in order to appease his own psychological demons and not for sound reasons of foreign policy. As Abu Aardvark states, goading Mr Bu$h is guaranteed to enrage him, and reinforce his stubbornness and desire to stay where we are. Maybe that tar baby is inside a briar patch, in fact.

I’d comment on Mr Bu$h hearing about this video and rolling on the floor, chewing on the carpet in his rage, but of course, that’s a technical violation of Godwin’s law.

There’s quite a bit more in the translation and review, and you’d be well-advised to read it all and take it to heart because you won’t hear an honest interpretation of it from our side of the divide. I can’t vouch for the translation, of course, and I wouldn’t vouch for an “official” “corrected” translation from Bu$hCo, if only because they never get anything right.