State department deputy spokesman, Tom Casey

(AKI) - The US government says a call from al-Qaeda for violence to drive foreigners out of Lebanon will gain little support in the country.

State department deputy spokesman, Tom Casey, said although the US was concerned about the new threats, it did not believe they would go ahead.

Casey spoke to reporters after al-Qaeda leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri urged Muslim mujahadeen to drive foreign "crusaders" from Lebanon.

"We would hope that Lebanon would be a central base for the Lebanese people to have a democratic government that supports them and achieves their political aspirations," Casey said in a media briefing in Washington.

"Certainly, we're always concerned about any threats from al-Qaeda whether they're directed at the United States or directed at a good friend like Lebanon.

"I think it's pretty clear, though that the people of Lebanon don't particularly find attractive the kind of vision that's being offered by al-Zawahiri or Osama bin Laden or any of the folks involved in al-Qaeda."

Ayman al-Zawahiri urged Muslim 'mujahadeen' to drive foreign "crusaders" out of Lebanon in an audio message released on Islamic internet forums on Tuesday.

"The mujahadeen must chase the forces of crusading invaders that are called peacekeepers out of Lebanon," al-Zawahiri said.

"Lebanon will have a prominent role in the next battle against the crusaders and the Zionists. What I am asking of the mujahadeen in Lebanon is to prepare themselves to go to Palestine."

He said UN resolution 1701 was unacceptable.

The resolution, passed by the UN Security Council, called for an end to hostilities after a month-long conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006 and the provision of up to 15,000 UN peacekeepers.

Lebanon's parliament has postponed meetings to elect a new president 18 times since Emile Lahoud left the post in November.