My thoughts about Zawahiri
Zawahiri
Osama bin Laden is not the only target of George W Bush’s war on global terrorism. The Saudi renegade’s reputed deputy, Ayman Mohammed Rabie al-Zawahiri, a lifelong Egyptian radical who many believe is the real brains behind the loose-knit network of Islamic militants, is also a prime suspect. It may be that the USA would find it prudent to go after al-Zawahiri first if it wants to eliminate the enemy it has identified. Indeed, the genesis of what the USA thinks it is coming to grips with may well lie more in Egypt than in Saudi Arabia. 1
Few individuals have had a more central role in articulating and practicing terrorism than Ayman Al-Zawahiri.[2] Though born into the Egyptian aristocracy and trained as a surgeon, this gifted individual has always been attracted to the most extreme forms of Islam. In 1998 he brought his Egyptian Islamic Jihad organization into a union with the forces of Osama bin Laden, known as Al-Qa’ida (the base), in the effort to create a globalized network of terror whose capacities were demonstrated on September 11, 2001, as well as in the earlier destruction of the American Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania and in the damage inflicted on the USS Cole in the Gulf of Aden. 2
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Osama bin Laden and Zawahiri saw Iraq as their big opportunity. Not only had America blundered right into their backyard - almost literally, given that bin Laden is Saudi and the Zawahiri is Egyptian - but Saddam Hussein’s removal from the scene meant that Iraq was there for the taking. Zawahiri has always understood the need for a physical base (one of the meanings of the Arabic word “al-qaida”) and saw “the land of the two rivers” (Iraq) as the ideal territory for a new base for “the global jihad” following the loss of Afghanistan. 3
or (closer to the original Arabic pronunciation) al-Dhawahri (born June 19, 1951), is a prominent leader of al-Qaeda, and was the second and last “emir” of Egyptian Islamic Jihad, having succeeded ‘Abbud al-Zummar in the latter role when Egyptian authorities sentenced al-Zummar to life imprisonment. Al-Zawahiri is a qualified surgeon, and is an author of works including numerous al-Qaeda statements. Al-Zawahiri is under worldwide embargo by the UN 1267 Committee as a member or affiliate of al-Qaeda. 4
In 1998 al-Zawahiri formally merged Egyptian Islamic Jihad into al-Qaeda. According to reports by a former al-Qaeda member, he has worked in the al-Qaeda organization since its inception and was a senior member of the group’s shura council. He is often described as a “lieutenant” to Osama bin Laden. As of June 2008, he is still at large. 5
Dear Abby” this ain’t. Al-Qaeda no. 2 Ayman al-Zawahiri is planning an online question-and-answer session. Zawahiri, an Egyptian doctor and Osama Bin Laden’s top deputy, has authorized four jihadist websites to collect and forward questions to him, “regardless of whether they are in support of or are against” al-Qaeda, reports Der Spiegel . 7
A new video thought to be from al-Qaeda second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahiri praises the insurgency in Iraq. By November 2005, al-Zarqawi had had some sort of relationship with al-Qaeda for about a year (see October 17, 2004), but this relationship will end upon his death in mid-June (see June 8, 2006). 8
Al-Qaeda has released videos that can be downloaded and viewed on cell phones, the AP reports. The terrorist group launched eight video messages from Osama bin Laden and No. Ayman al-Zawahri, all available thanks to al-Qaeda’s media branch, al-Sahab. The videos feature subtitles in English and dubbing in other languages to tap into a wider audience. 9
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Tags: american embassies, arabic word, aristocracy, ayman al zawahiri, coming to grips, egyptian islamic jihad, egyptian organization, george w bush, global jihad, global terrorism, gulf of aden, islamic jihad, islamic jihad organization, islamic militants, prime suspect, rabie, real brains, september 11 2001, target, two rivers, uss cole, Zawahiri
Tags: american embassies, arabic word, aristocracy, ayman al zawahiri, coming to grips, egyptian islamic jihad, egyptian organization, george w bush, global jihad, global terrorism, gulf of aden, islamic jihad, islamic jihad organization, islamic militants, prime suspect, rabie, real brains, september 11 2001, target, two rivers, uss cole, Zawahiri