Sept. 27 (Bloomberg) -- A new speech by Ayman al-Zawahiri, al-Qaeda's second-in-command, that refers to Sept. 12 remarks by Pope Benedict XVI, is being advertised on jihadist Web sites and on-line forums, according to a terrorist-monitoring group.

The Search for International Terrorist Entities Institute, which monitors terrorists' online activities, said the message is being advertised in a banner format that mentions as-Sahab productions, al-Qaeda's media branch.

The banner promises that al-Zawahiri will discuss remarks by Pope Benedict XVI, according to an e-mailed press statement from SITE, which is based in Washington.

The pope provoked Muslim protests around the world when he quoted a 14th century Byzantine emperor who linked Islam with violence. The advertisement also promises that Zawahiri will discuss U.S. President George W. Bush and Sudan's violence- wracked Darfur region.

The speech would be the fourth recorded al-Qaeda message since Sept. 2 to feature Zawahiri, an Egyptian-born doctor.

Zawahiri issued a message on the eve of the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in which he said Arab Gulf states and Israel will be targets. On Sept. 7, al-Qaeda released a video purporting to show Osama bin Laden and Zawahiri meeting some of the Sept. 11 hijackers in an Afghan mountain camp.

A Sept. 2 tape featured al-Zawahiri and Adam Yehiye Gadahn, a U.S. born member of al-Qaeda. The videotape urged Americans to become Muslims.

Based on how much time usually elapses between such online advertisements and the release of the recordings online or to Arabic-language television stations, the new speech could be issued anytime in the next week, according to SITE analyst Adam Raisman. It will also most likely be a video and not an audio recording, Raisman said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Judy Mathewson in Washington at jmathewson@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: September 27, 2006 16:16 EDT