al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula number two Said al-Shihri called for attacks against US interests "everywhere," in an audio message released on the Internet yesterday.

"American and Crusader interests are everywhere and their agents are moving everywhere," Shihri said. "Attack them and eliminate as many enemies as you can."

The US-based SITE monitoring service said Shihri said Yemeni Muslims "must be united in this battle front and support the Mujahedeen," and urged "Muslims elsewhere in the Arabian peninsula to do the same" and "embrace Jihad."