Al Jazeera releases new London bomber tape

DUBAI (Reuters) - Al Jazeera television on Thursday aired excerpts of a video featuring al-Qaeda's second-in-command, Ayman al-Zawahri, and what it said was the last statement of one of the July 7, 2005 London bombers.

"What have you witnessed now is only the beginning of a string of attacks that will continue and become stronger until you pull your forces out of Afghanistan and Iraq," said the man identified as Shehzad Tanweer, one of the suicide bombers who attacked London's transport system on July 7 last year.

"And until you stop your financial and military support to America and Israel," he said.

Al Jazeera said Zawahri praised Tanweer, saying: "He studied physical fitness at university and he had a passion for boxing. Even though he was from a well-off family, his clothes and appearance didn't show that."

Al Jazeera said Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden praised the attack. The video showed a picture of bin Laden but his voice could not be heard.

The video showed masked men apparently conducting scientific experiments in petri dishes and testing a small explosive device in what Jazeera said according to the video was Qaeda's training camps.

The Jazeera voice-over said the video showed the militants had chosen their targets specifically. The video also showed a group of men firing gunshots into the air after they apparently heard of the success of the London bombings.