Al-Qaeda leader calls for more Muhammad film protests

CAIRO (REUTERS) - Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri said a film made in the United States mocking the Prophet Muhammad showed Washington was waging a "crusader Zionist war" against Muslims and he called for more protests outside American embassies.

Like in other messages released by Al-Qaeda's Yemeni and North African branches last month, Zawahiri praised last month's assault on the US consulate in Benghazi that killed four diplomats but stopped short of claiming responsibility.

In the recording, posted on Islamist websites on Friday, he called on "free and distinguished zealots for Islam" who attacked the consulate and protested outside other American embassies to "continue their opposition to American crusader Zionist aggression against Islam and Muslims".

The recording appeared on the Mujahedin al-Ansar website which carries statements from Al-Qaeda leaders.