CAIRO, Egypt (AP) - An al-Qaida member who escaped from a U.S. prison in Afghanistan urged his followers in a new video aired Tuesday to acquire nuclear technology. Abu Yahia al-Libi, who broke out of prison in July 2005, appeared in a video broadcast by the pan-Arab Al-Arabiya TV, telling his followers "to get prepared by starting with exercise...then learn technology until you are capable of nuclear weapons," he said.
In the video, al-Libi, who appears to be talking with a group of fighters has a beard and is wearing a long grey robe. The video was the third purported featuring al-Libi since he escaped from prison.
Al-Arabiya showed two minutes of what it said was an hour-long video exclusively obtained by the satellite channel. It also showed footage of what appeared to be a group of Arab fighters training.
The authenticity of the tape could not immediately be independently verified but Al-Arabiya reported it was produced by the media arm of the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Attempts to reach Al-Arabiya by telephone Tuesday evening went unanswered.
Al-Arabiya said another part of the video showed al-Libi praising Taliban leader Mullah Omar. It did not broadcast that segment.
Last October, Al-Arabiya broadcast a video by al-Libi in which he recounted how he and three other al-Qaida members escaped from a U.S. prison at Bagram Air Base, which is north of the capital Kabul, last year.
The second video, which was posted in May on a website used by Islamist militants, suggested al-Libi, who appeared alone, was still alive earlier this year during the controversy over cartoons of the Prophet Muhammed that peaked in January and February.
Afghan police said at the time of the escape Abu Yahia al-Libi's actual name was Abulbakar Mohammed Hassan and he is Libyan.
