Cairo, Sep 11 (DPA) Al Qaeda's second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahiri declared in a tape published Monday that the group will target Israel and Western interests in the Gulf countries next.

"You are wasting your time reinforcing your forces in Iraq and Afghanistan," al-Zawahiri said in videotape broadcast by the al-Jazeera network, addressing Western governments.

"Instead, you should boost your defences in two areas: the first is the Gulf from which you will be evicted after Iraq, God willing, the second is Israel, where you will meet your end."

"We have all the reasons to continue targeting Western states," added the militant leader, who warned that the attacks against the US would be increased on the fifth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

He also criticized Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia "for supporting" the recent Israeli aggression on Lebanon. He deemed them responsible for the death of Muslims in the Middle East.

During the conflict the three countries had backtracked on their initial criticism of Hezbollah violence.