Asharq al Awsat, London- One of four prisoners who escaped from Bagram airbase, north of the Afghan capital Kabul, in July, warned that militants would “sully the United State’s pride in the sand”, in a statement posted on the internet.

Yahya al Libbi, whose real name is Mohammad Hassan Qayid, indicated in a 20 minute videotape message entitled “The sermon of Eid al Fitr”, marking the end of Ramadan, which fell on 4 November this year, “We will humiliate the United States. Either we live proudly or our fate will be to enter paradise”.

“Signs of victory can be seen on the horizon, in Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine and Chechnya. Victory is forthcoming in spite of the wishes of all enemies, infidels and aggressors,” he added.

Al Libbi was one of four detainees who escaped from the US airbase in Bagram. The others are Saudi national Mohammad al Qahtani, Syrian national Abdullah al Hashemi, Iraqi national Mahmoud al Rashid, also known as Omar al Faruq, a senior al Qaeda figure.

A U.S. military official described the men as “dangerous enemy combatants”.

At the time, a military source revealed he had discovered four orange prison uniforms dumped near Bagram prison in July. How they managed to escape remains a mystery but there are indications that they received outside assistance.

A Taliban spokesman said the four men have rejoined the ranks of the movement which was overthrown in Afghanistan late 2001.