Zawahiri

jihadology.net, The Clairvoyant: The Guidelines: Measuring Zawahiri’s Influence "Over the past few years since the American operation against Usama bin Ladin in Pakistan, there has been much debate over the leadership capabilities and influence that Bin Ladin’s successor Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri still has over the global jihadi movement generally and al-Qaeda branches in particular. Endowing al-Qaeda franchise-status upon Harakat al-Shabab al-Mujahidin in Somalia, slow response to the Arab uprisings, and inability to resolve the conflict in Syria between the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) and Jabhat al-Nusra highlight how many have become skeptical of Zawahiri’s importance or relevance. And while this is all certainly true, those within the movement that are still true believers in the cause and view Zawahiri and al-Qaeda’s general command (AQGC) in Pakistan/Yemen as the fountainhead of the jihad against the Zionists and Crusaders still heed Zawahiri’s advice."

Osama bin Laden was blind in one eye

Guardian, Osama bin Laden was blind in one eye, says al-Qaida leader, 27 Sep 2012 "Al-Qaida's leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, has revealed that his predecessor, Osama bin Laden, was blind in one eye and confirmed that in his youth he had been a member of the Saudi Arabian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. "In a video posted on a jihadi website, the third in a series entitled Days with the Imam, Zawahiri narrates stories about Bin Laden, who was killed by US navy commandos in May 2011 at his compound in the Pakistani town of Abbottabad."

9/11 anniversary: Ayman al-Zawahiri confirms June death of Abu Yahya al-Libi - Telegraph

9/11 anniversary: Ayman al-Zawahiri confirms June death of Abu Yahya al-Libi - Telegraph

Al-Qaida advises the Arab Spring: Syria

Joas Wagemakers, jihadica.com, Al-Qaida advises the Arab Spring: Syria, 19 Nov 2011 "With the Arab Spring going strong in several countries, al-Qaida (in a broad sense, so including ideologues and scholars supportive of the organisation) still finds it necessary to comment on what is happening. In a series of posts, I will deal with the advice al-Qaida is giving the people of several countries, starting with Syria."

Ayman al-Zawahri on Libya

alarabiya.net, New Qaeda chief urges Islamic rule in Libya, 12 Oct 2011 "Al-Qaeda’s new leader is calling on Libyan fighters who overthrew Muammar Qaddafi to set up an Islamic state and urges Algerians to revolt against their longtime leader in remarks in a new Internet video."

aq 9-11 Video

AFP, Al-Qaeda releases 9/11 anniversary video, 13 Sep 2011 "Al-Qaeda has released a video marking the anniversary of 9/11 which includes a message from its slain leader Osama bin Laden to the American people, monitoring group SITE Intelligence said Tuesday."

Zawahiri hails Syrian protestors

AFP, Al-Qaeda leader Zawahiri hails Syrian protestors, 27 Jul 2011 "Calling the pro-democracy activists "mujahideen," or holy warriors, Zawahiri hailed their efforts in "teaching lessons to the aggressor, the oppressor, the traitor, the disloyal, and standing up against his oppression" in a video the SITE Intelligence Group said was posted on extremist online forums."

Ayman al-Zawahiri

CNN, Jihadist websites: Ayman al-Zawahiri appointed al Qaeda's new leader, 16 June 2011 "The statement cannot be authenticated by CNN, but it appeared on radical Islamist sites known for posting similar statements and recruitment videos by other al Qaeda figures.

""Hereby the General Command of the Qaida al-Jihad -- and after the end of the consultations -- we declare that Sheikh Dr. Abu Muhammad Ayman al-Zawahiri (May God bless him) will take over the responsibility of command of the group," the statement said."

Ayman al-Zawahiri

Brian Ross, ABC News, Al Qaeda Deputy Surfaces: New Terror Leader?, 8 Jun 2011

"Appearing to assume the role as the new leader of al Qaeda, the former number two Ayman al-Zawahiri vowed to avenge the death of Osama bin Laden "blood for blood" in another day like 9/11, in a video posted on the internet Wednesday morning."

"Goodbye Osama?" opinion piece

Nader Alsarras, [trans. John Bergeron] Deutsche Welle, qantara.de, Arab Popular Uprisings and al-Qaida: Goodbye Osama?

"Despite the inability of al-Qaida to come to grips with modern social networks like Facebook and Twitter, the terrorist network has not remained completely at a loss for words after the events in Egypt. In a Youtube video, Ayman Al-Sawahiri attempts to reinterpret the revolts in Tunisia and Egypt according to his world view."

Analysis

Abubakar Siddique, Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Charting A New Way Forward In The Middle East, 13 Feb 2011 "It's not difficult to imagine Al-Qaeda leaders Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahri huddling together listening to Arabic-language broadcasts inside some nondescript house in a teeming Pakistani city. Like their enemies in the West, they are probably grappling with one fundamental question: how to manipulate the popular revolt on the "Arab Street"?"

Net theories on aQ (commentary/op-ed)

Maidhc Ó Cathail, Tehran Times : Bin Laden is dead; long live “Bin Laden”, 16 Aug 2010:

commentary/op-ed

"As Antiwar.com editor Justin Raimondo put it, Adam Gadahn is “an awfully odd figure, whose sudden evolution from a nice Jewish boy into Osama bin Laden’s Goebbels is just a little hard to take.”

"Equally hard to take is the means by which the public learns of bin Laden’s latest pronouncements.

"“Almost every statement by Osama bin Laden published on the Internet...is first made public by SITE and IntelCenter,” according to a Spiegel Online profile of Rita Katz, Josh Devon and Ben Venzke, who founded the two companies that supposedly track al-Qaeda online.""

Some intriguing points in this discussion.

The writer's blog is here: Maidhc Ó Cathail

Ayman al-Zawahiri

Middle East Online, Qaeda's Zawahiri slams Turkey's ties with Israel, 15 Aug 2010 "The Turkish people must "stand up against those crimes committed by your government and army against Islam and Muslims," said Zawahiri, urging Turkey to return to the days of the Muslim caliphate.

""Turkey, the Islamic caliphate, used to protect us ... Now, the secular Turkey hands us over to the enemies of Islam and those who insult the Koran and our Prophet Mohammed."""

Ayman al-Zawahiri

Reuters, Qaeda's Zawahri condemns France, Yemen clerics: Web, 27 Jul 2010 "Al Qaeda's No. 2 leader condemned a French move to ban Islamic face veils and urged Yemeni clerics to call for jihad against an alleged U.S. intervention in Yemen, in an Internet message posted on Tuesday."

Abu Ayyub al-Masri and Abu Omar al-Baghdadi 'killed'

alarabiya.net, Al-Qaeda's two top Iraq leaders killed in raid, 19 Apr 2010

BBC News, Senior Iraqi al-Qaeda leaders 'killed', 19 Apr 2010 "Mr Maliki said on national TV that the Iraqi al-Qaeda leader Abu Ayyub al-Masri and Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, who led an affiliate group, were dead ...

" ... "During the operation computers were seized with e-mails and messages to the two biggest terrorists, Osama bin Laden and [his deputy] Ayman al-Zawahiri," Mr Maliki added."

Fox, 2 Most Wanted Al Qaeda Leaders in Iraq Killed by U.S., Iraqi Forces, 19 Apr 2010

Umayma al-Zawahiri on jihad

Nelly Lahoud, jihadica.com, Umayma al-Zawahiri on Women’s Role in Jihad, 26 Feb 2010 "In December 2009, al-Sahab released a missive entitled “Letter to My Muslim Sisters” (risala ila al-akhawat al-muslimat) by Umayma al-Zawahiri - Ayman al-Zawahiri’s wife. The letter is addressed to three categories of Muslim women."

aQ "Wives' Club"

Khaled Wassef, CBS News, Al Qaeda Wives' Club, 18 Dec 09, "Al Qaeda's media wing as-Sahab released an Internet statement Thursday from the wife of Ayman al-Zawahri, the group's deputy commander, the first known recruitment appeal by a prominent female on behalf of the terrorist group.

"The statement from Umaima Hassan Ahmad Muhammad Hassan was titled: "A Letter to the Muslim Sisters." In it, Mrs. Zawahri appealed to Muslim women around the world to support the Mujahideen, calling it "an obligation on all Muslims, men and women.""

Baitullah Mehsud

CNN, Latest al Qaeda message eulogizes deceased leader, 28 Sep 09 "A purported audio message from Al Qaeda's second-in-command appeared on radical Islamist Web sites on Sunday eulogizing Baitullah Mehsud, the former leader of the Pakistani Taliban."

Libyan Islamic Fighting Group

Jarret Brachman, Why the LIFG’s Revisions are Falling on Our Deaf Ears, Sep 21, 2009 "Today’s blog is a plea to my readers who are in positions to influence counterterrorism policy with regard to al-Qaida. For once, the Libyans are doing something right and everyone else is standing around staring at their shoes. In short, this is the most significant development in the war on terror this year and, well, nobody knows – and if they know – they don’t seem to care. Not only does it matter that the senior leaders of an organization formerly in bed with al-Qaida are now renouncing al-Qaida, but the biggest story here is this:

"ABU YAHYA AL-LIBI’S OLDER BROTHER, ABU IDRIS, IS AMONG THE SIGNATORIES ON THE LIFG’S REVISIONS. IN OTHER WORDS, THERE IS AN “OLDER BROTHER SCOLDS YOUNGER BROTHER” STORY HERE THAT IS BEING TOTALLY MISSED. THIS ISN’T INFO-OPS – IT’S REAL LIFE." [that's Dr Brachman's emphasis!].

This is a useful post, which provides background detail on an issue that is somewhat underreported (greater attention being given to Harrach (below). It also points to other related articles, including Thomas Hegghammer, Libyan Jihad Revisions [which itself points to kitab al-dirasat al-tashihiyya, “the Book of Correctional Studies”, being published on oealibya.com]. Clearly, it needs some further detailed analysis.

Somalia

CBS News, Website: Somali Militants ‘Officially’ Pledge Allegiance To Bin Laden, 12 Jun 09 "Islamist militants in the Somali city of Kissmayo pledged allegiance to al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden, according to a statement posted on a Somali jihadi blog. “The Islamic administration of Kissmayo, under the command of Sheikh Abu Bakr Zayla'I, pledged allegiance to Sheikh Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda leaders, Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri and Abu Yahya al-Libi God protect them all,” the statement said."