The leader of al-Qaida, Ayman al-Zawahri, has called for a holy war against the United States and Israel over anti-Islam footage produced in California that sparked protests throughout the Muslim world, reported the Associated Press.

AP said Zawahri issued the audio message by way of al-Qaida's As-Sahab media outreach website and reported that had been posted on militant sites early today.

The call comes days after US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta described the threat of cyber attacks against the US as a "pre-9/11 moment."

[link to www.globalpost.com]