"They are irritated by the Arabic satellite channels for not flagging enough of their operations," Ulph said.
"Their irritation with the mainstream media channels is strong, and their latest TV program is a result of this," he said.
In one recent program, a news anchor in covered face welcomed viewers with greetings for a Blessed Ramadan before delivering news of attacks by jihadists in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere.
"This is a media war between al-Qaeda and its opponents," said Montasser al-Zayat, a lawyer and onetime spokesman for a militant group in Egypt.
He said Ayman al-Zawahiri, the No.2 leader of al-Qaeda, was "keen to broadcast videotapes because he wants to send a message to his people that the group's organizational structure is still there and to tell the Americans, `We are here.'"
RSS