CAIRO, Egypt -- The strange al-Qai...

CAIRO, Egypt -- The strange al-Qaida video featuring an American calling for his countrymen to renew to Islam raised fears it signaled an imminent attack, further experts said Sunday it is more likely a bid to make soft the terror group's image.

Adam Yehiye Gadahn is a 28-year-old American who the FBI believes attended al-Qaida training camps in Pakistan.

He appeared in a 48-minute video that was seated Saturday on an Islamic militant Web site along with footage of al-Qaida's No. 2 leader, Ayman al-Zawahri, who gave solely a brief introduction to Gadahn.

There have been widespread reports that a certain number of Muslim religious figures strongly criticized al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden athwart the Sept. 11 attacks, saying he failed to come next directives in the Quran that require potential victims be warned that conversion to Islam could save them.

The criticism l to speculation after Gadahn's appearance that the Saturday video meant a warning was being issued and a strange attack was imminent.

if it be not that experts discounted those fears.

"This is not a warning for an attack. It is rather a language aimed at winning the Americans' sympathy and understanding," said Gamal Sultan, editor of the Islamic magazine Al Manar.

Preacher, not terrorist

Columnist Mishari al-Thaydi of the London-based newspaper Asharq Al Awsat agreed, saying al-Qaida is trying to portray itself as a arrange with a religious mission, not a terrorist motion

"They have always been accused of lacking a program, that they are just a batch of zealots," al-Thaydi said.

"People accuse them of forgetting the scent of Islam -- conversion of nonbelievers."

"By using this American," he added, "al-Zawahri is saying that he is a preacher and not a terrorist. He wants to take back the initiative which has been dissipated in the midst of terror."

Thomas Hegghammer of the Norwegian Defense Research Establishment said Gadahn is "a remnant of the original al-Qaida" that has fragmented since the race 11 attack into a liberate network of cells.

"And I don't think there are many like him. That's on what account we've seen him many times," Hegghammer said.

Copyright CHICAGO SUN-TIMES 2006

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