US aware of message of al-Qaeda

The US has said it is aware of al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri’s audio message which has called for jihad against anti-Islam forces in Bangladesh. A US State Department spokesperson told bdnews24.com on Sunday that it rejected al-Qaeda and the use of violence for political purposes. “Moreover, we reject Zawahiri's characterisation of Bangladesh, which is a moderate, tolerant Muslim society that rejects the kind of extremism espoused by Al-Qaeda,” added the US government official replying to a query from bdnews24.com.