Zarqawi declares war on Iraq Shi'ites

DUBAI, Thursday (Reuters) - Iraq's al Qaeda leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi on Wednesday declared a war on Shi'ite Muslims in Iraq in response to a U.S.-Iraqi offensive on the rebel town of Tal Afar, according to an Internet audio tape.

"Al Qaeda Organisation in Iraq ... has declared war against Shi'ites in all of Iraq," said the voice which could not be immediately verified but sounded like previous recordings attributed to Zarqawi.

"As for the government, servants of the crusaders headed by (Iraqi Prime Minister) Ibrahim Jaafari, they have declared a war on Sunnis in Tal Afar. You have begun and started the attacks and you won't see mercy from us," it added.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Sunni Muslim al Qaeda said in an Internet posting it was waging a nationwide suicide bombing campaign to avenge the military offensive against Sunni rebels in Tal Afar, in which more than 200 insurgents have been killed and several hundreds captured.

The Jordanian-born militant said Shi'ites and U.S. forces were collaborating against Sunnis and described the offensive in Tal Afar as an "organised sectarian war".

Zarqawi also warned Iraqis and tribal leaders they would be killed if they collaborated with U.S. forces.

"Whoever is found to be a member of the National Guard, army or is a spy will be killed and his house will be demolished.