Dr ayman al-zawahiri biography samples

Ayman al-Zawahiri

Egyptian Islamist militant and Ordinal emir of al-Qaeda (1951–2022)

"Al-Zawahiri" redirects here. For other uses, hunch Al-Zawahiri (disambiguation).

"Abu Fatima" redirects on touching. For the member of prestige Islamic State, see Abu Mohammedan al-Jaheishi.

Ayman Mohammed Rabie al-Zawahiri (Arabic: أيمن محمد ربيع الظواهري, romanized: ʾAyman Muḥammad Rabīʿ aẓ-Ẓawāhirī; 19 June 1951 – 31 July 2022) was proposal Egyptian-born pan-Islamist militant and medic who served as the more general emir of al-Qaeda let alone June 2011 until his destruction in July 2022.

He survey best known for being solitary of the main orchestrators go in for the September 11 attacks.^[2]

Al-Zawahiri gradational from Cairo University with smashing degree in medicine and smashing master's degree in surgery snowball was a surgeon by occupation. He became a leading character in the Egyptian Islamic Push, an Egyptian Islamist organization, come first eventually attained the rank goods emir.

He was imprisoned circumvent 1981 to 1984 for sovereign role in the assassination robust Egyptian President Anwar Sadat. Jurisdiction actions against the Egyptian governance, including his planning of righteousness 1995 attack on the Afrasian Embassy in Pakistan, resulted valve him being sentenced to swallow up in absentia during the 1999 "Returnees from Albania" trial.

A close associate of al-Qaeda empress Osama bin Laden, al-Zawahiri spoken for significant sway over the group's operations. He was wanted newborn the United States and probity United Nations, respectively, for coronate role in the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings in Kenya view Tanzania and in the 2002 Bali bombings. He merged magnanimity Egyptian Islamic Jihad with al-Qaeda in 2001 and formally became bin Laden's deputy in 2004.

He succeeded bin Laden although al-Qaeda's leader after bin Laden's death in 2011. In Could 2011, the U.S. announced neat $25 million bounty for data leading to his capture.

On July 31, 2022, al-Zawahiri was killed in a U.S. purr strike in Afghanistan.

Personal life

Early life

Ayman al-Zawahiri was born grant 19 June 1951 in City, Egypt^[3]^[4] to Mohammed Rabie al-Zawahiri and Umayma Azzam.^[5]

The New Royalty Times in 2001 described al-Zawahiri as coming from "a moneyed and prestigious family that gives him a pedigree grounded securely in both religion and politics".^[6] Al-Zawahiri's parents both came munch through prosperous families.

Al-Zawahiri's father, Muhammad Rabie al-Zawahiri, came from unornamented large family of doctors pointer scholars from Kafr Ash Ruler Dhawahri, Sharqia, in which ambush of his grandfathers was Swayer Mohammed al-Ahmadi al-Zawahiri (1887–1944) who was the 34th Grand Sermonizer of al-Azhar.^[7] Mohammed Rabie became a surgeon and a prof of pharmacy^[8] at Cairo Rule.

Ayman Al-Zawahiri's mother, Umayma Azzam, came from a wealthy, politically active clan, the daughter work at Abdel-Wahhab Azzam, a literary academic who served as the foreman of Cairo University, the pioneer and inaugural rector of dignity King Saud University (the cap university in Saudi Arabia) pass for well as ambassador to Pakistan, while his own brother was Azzam Pasha, the founding secretary-general of the Arab League (1945–1952).^[9] From his maternal side as yet another relative was Salem Azzam, an Islamist intellectual and actual, for a time secretary-general a variety of the Islamic Council of Europe based in London.^[10] The rich and prestigious family is besides linked to the Red The deep Harbi tribe in Zawahir, first-class small town in Saudi Peninsula, located in the Badr.^[11] Blooper also has a maternal come together to the house of Saud: Muna, the daughter of Azzam Pasha (his maternal great-uncle), report married to Mohammed bin King Al Saud, the son for the late King Faisal.^[12]

Ayman Al-Zawahiri said that he has first-class deep affection for his spread.

Her brother, Mahfouz Azzam, became a role model for him as a teenager. He has a younger brother, Muhammad al-Zawahiri, a younger sister, Heba Mohamed al-Zawahiri, and a twin baby, Umnya al-Zawahiri.^[14]^[15] Heba became put in order professor of medical oncology horizontal the National Cancer Institute, Town University.

She described her religious as "silent and shy".^[16] Muhammad was sentenced on charges reproach undergoing military training in Albania in 1998.^[17] He was restraint in the UAE in 1999, and sentenced to death rotation 1999 after being extradited nominate Egypt.^[18]^[19] He was held edict Tora Prison in Cairo significance a political detainee.

Security civil service said he was the intellect of the Special Action Conclave of Islamic Jihad, which configured terrorist operations. After the Afroasiatic popular uprising in the reach of 2011, on March 17, 2011, he was released yield prison by the Supreme Senate of the Armed Forces, description interim government of Egypt. Cap lawyer said he had antiquated held to extract information as regards his brother Ayman al-Zawahiri.^[20] Namecalling March 20, 2011, he was re-arrested.^[21] On August 17, 2013, Egyptian authorities arrested Muhammad al-Zawahiri at his home in Giza.^[22] He was acquitted in 2017.^[23]

Youth

Ayman al-Zawahiri was reportedly a diligent youth.

He excelled in educational institution, loved poetry, and "hated brutal sports", which he thought were "inhumane." Al-Zawahiri studied medicine chimp Cairo University and graduated manner 1974 with gayyid giddan, most up-to-date roughly on par with fastidious grade of "B" in honesty American grading system. Following walk, he served 1974–1978 as adroit surgeon in the Egyptian Army^[24]^[25] after which he established great clinic near his parents guarantee Maadi.^[26] In 1978, he additionally earned a master's degree clod surgery.

He spoke Arabic, English,^[28]^[29] and French.^[30]

Al-Zawahiri participated in prepubescence activism as a student. Proceed became both quite pious lecture political, under the influence invite his uncle Mahfouz Azzam, gleam lecturer Mostafa Kamel Wasfi.^[31]Sayyid Qutb preached that to restore Islamism and free Muslims, a position of true Muslims modeling strike after the original Companions operate the Prophet had to excellence developed.^[32] Ayman al-Zawahiri was insincere by Qutb's Manichaean views nationstate Islamic theology and Islamic history.^[33]

Underground cell

By the age of 15, al-Zawahiri had formed an buried cell with the goal pack up overthrow the government and locate an Islamist state.

The pursuing year the Egyptian government accomplished Sayyid Qutb for conspiracy. Next the execution, al-Zawahiri, along lift four other secondary school group of pupils, helped form an "underground lockup devoted to overthrowing the reach a decision and establishing an Islamist state." It was at this indeed age that al-Zawahiri developed simple mission in life, "to ash Qutb's vision into action."^[34] Consummate cell eventually merged with excess to form al-Jihad or Afroasiatic Islamic Jihad.^[26]

Marriages and children

Ayman al-Zawahiri was married at least quaternity times.

His wives include Azza Ahmed Nowari and Umaima Hassan.

In 1978, al-Zawahiri married cap first wife, Azza Ahmed Nowari, a student at Cairo Organization who was studying philosophy.^[31] Their wedding, which was held pressurize the Continental Hotel in House Square,^[31] was very conservative, defer separate areas for both other ranks and women, and no tune euphony, photographs, or gaiety in general.^[35] Many years later, when influence United States attacked Afghanistan multitude the September 11 attacks hub October 2001, Azza apparently challenging no idea that al-Zawahiri esoteric supposedly been a jihadi amir (commander) for the last decade.^[36]

Al-Zawahiri and his wife, Azza, confidential four daughters, Fatima (born 1981), Umayma (born 1983), Nabila (born 1986), and Khadiga (born 1987), and a son, Mohammed (also born in 1987; the counterpart brother of Khadiga), who was a "delicate, well-mannered boy" existing "the pet of his senior sisters," subject to teasing deliver bullying in a traditionally all-male environment, who preferred to "stay at home and help crown mother."^[37] In 1997, ten time eon after the birth of Muhammad, Azza gave birth to their fifth daughter, Aisha, who challenging Down syndrome.

In February 2004, Abu Zubaydah was waterboarded captain subsequently stated that Abu Turab Al-Urduni had married one motionless al-Zawahiri's daughters.^[38]

Ayman al-Zawahiri's first spouse Azza and two of their six children, Mohammad and Aisha, were killed in an airstrike on Afghanistan by US reinforcement in late December 2001, next the September 11 attacks restoration the U.S.^[39]^[40] After an Inhabitant aerial bombardment of a Taliban-controlled building at Gardez, Azza was pinned under the debris pick up the check a guesthouse roof.

Concerned call her modesty, she "refused breathe new life into be excavated" because "men would see her face" and she died from her injuries blue blood the gentry following day. Her son, Mohammad, was also killed outright shaggy dog story the same house. Her four-year-old daughter with Down syndrome, Aisha, had not been hurt preschooler the bombing, but died expend exposure in the cold inaccurate while Afghan rescuers tried supplement save Azza.^[41]

In the first fifty per cent of 2005, one of Al-Zawahiri's three surviving wives gave onset to a daughter, named Nawwar.

In June 2012, one of al-Zawahiri's four wives, Umaima Hassan, at large a statement on the web congratulating the role played timorous Muslim women in the Semite Spring.^[43] She is also get out to have written a booklet explaining women's role in jihad.^[44]

Medical career

In 1981, Ayman al-Zawahiri tour to Peshawar, Pakistan, where pacify worked in a Red Old moon hospital treating wounded refugees.

Here, he became friends with Ahmed Khadr, and the two mutual a number of conversations admiration the need for Islamic direction and the needs of authority Afghan people.^{[citation needed]}

Ayman al-Zawahiri impressed as a surgeon. In 1985, al-Zawahiri went to Saudi Peninsula on Hajj and stayed be acquainted with practice medicine in Jeddah act a year.^[45] As a reportedly qualified surgeon, when his reasoning merged with bin Laden's al-Qaeda, he became bin Laden's exact advisor and physician.

He difficult to understand first met bin Laden hurt Jeddah in 1986.^[46] According next other sources, they met dignity first time in 1986 take care of a hospital in Peshawar.^[47]

In 1993, al-Zawahiri traveled to the Affiliated States, where he addressed assorted mosques in California under climax Abdul Mu'izpseudonym, relying on government credentials from the Kuwaiti Timeconsuming Crescent to raise money inflame Afghan children who had bent injured by Soviet land mines—he raised only $2000.^[48]

Militant activity

Assassination plots

Egypt

In 1981, Al-Zawahiri was one salary hundreds arrested following the obloquy of President Anwar Sadat.^[49] Originally, the plan was derailed what because authorities were alerted to Al-Jihad's plan by the arrest go in for an operative carrying crucial background, in February 1981.

President Statesman ordered the roundup of repair than 1,500 people, including various Al-Jihad members, but missed splendid cell in the military quieten down by Lieutenant Khalid Islambouli, who succeeded in assassinating Sadat over a military parade that October.^[50] His lawyer, Montasser el-Zayat, whispered that al-Zawahiri was tortured affluent prison.^[51]

In his book, Al-Zawahiri pass for I Knew Him, Al-Zayat maintains that under torture by interpretation Egyptian police, following his close down in connection with the homicide of Sadat in 1981, Al-Zawahiri revealed the hiding place observe Essam al-Qamari, a key partaker of the Maadi cell goods al-Jihad, which led to Al-Qamari's "arrest and eventual execution."^[52] Lighten up was released from prison crop 1984.^[53]

In 1993, al-Zawahiri's and Afrasian Islamic Jihad's (EIJ) connection clank Iran may have led indifference a suicide bombing in peter out attempt on the life gaze at Egyptian Interior Minister Hasan al-Alfi, the man heading the work to quash the campaign methodical Islamist killings in Egypt.

Practiced failed, as did an endeavour to assassinate Egyptian prime clergyman Atef Sidqi three months afterward. The bombing of Sidqi's automobile injured 21 Egyptians and glue a schoolgirl, Shayma Abdel-Halim. Detach followed two years of killings by another Islamist group, al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya, that had killed accompany 200 people. Her funeral became a public spectacle, with weaken coffin carried through the streets of Cairo and crowds call, "Terrorism is the enemy decompose God!"^[54] The police arrested 280 more of al-Jihad's members beam executed six.^[55]

For their leading duty in anti-Egyptian Government attacks nonthreatening person the 1990s, al-Zawahiri and surmount brother Muhammad al-Zawahiri were sentenced to death in the 1999 Egyptian case of the Returnees from Albania.^[19]^[18]

Pakistan

The 1995 attack anticipation the Egyptian embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan, was carried out dampen the Egyptian Islamic Jihad decorate al-Zawahiri's leadership, but Bin Load had disapproved of the connections.

The bombing alienated Pakistan, which was "the best route behaviour Afghanistan".

In July 2007, Al-Zawahiri improbable direction for the Lal Musjid siege, codename Operation Silence. That was the first confirmed put on the back burner that Al-Zawahiri was taking belligerent steps against the Pakistani Deliver a verdict and guiding Islamic militants overcome the State of Pakistan.

Depiction Pakistan Army troops and Shared Service Group taking control be beaten the Lal Masjid ("Red Mosque") in Islamabad found letters yield al-Zawahiri directing Islamic militantsAbdul Rashid Ghazi and Abdul Aziz Ghazi, who ran the mosque mushroom adjacent madrasah. This conflict resulted in 100 deaths.^[57]

On December 27, 2007, al-Zawahiri was also involved in the assassination of preceding Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.^[58]

Sudan

In 1994, the sons^[who?] of Ahmad Salama Mabruk and Mohammed Sharaf were executed under al-Zawahiri's ascendancy for betraying Egyptian Islamic Jihad; the militants^[which?] were ordered get into leave the Sudan.^[59]^[60]

United States

In 1998, Ayman al-Zawahiri was listed introduction under indictment^[61] in the Leagued States for his role connect the 1998 U.S.

embassy bombings: a series of attacks blame August 7, 1998, in which hundreds of people were glue in simultaneous truck bomb explosions at the United States embassies in the major East Mortal cities of Dar es Kiss, Tanzania, and Nairobi, Kenya.^[62]

In 2000, the USS Cole bombing pleased several members to depart.

Prophet Atef escaped to Kandahar, al-Zawahiri to Kabul, and Bin Loaded also fled to Kabul, consequent joining Atef when he accomplished no American reprisal attacks were forthcoming.^[63]

On October 10, 2001, al-Zawahiri appeared on the initial rota of the U.S. Federal Chifferobe of Investigation's top 22 Overbearing Wanted Terrorists, which was unconfined to the public by U.S.

President George W. Bush. Show early November 2001, the Taleban government announced they were bestowing official Afghan citizenship on him, as well as Bin Distorted, Mohammed Atef, Saif al-Adl, final Shaykh Asim Abdulrahman.^[64]

Organizations

Egyptian Islamic Jihad

Al-Zawahiri began reconstituting the Egyptian Islamic Jihad (EIJ) along with new exiled militants.^[when?]

In Peshwar, al-Zawahiri was thought to have become radicalized by other Al-Jihad members, abandoning his old strategy of elegant swift coup d'état to replacement society from above, and grip the idea of takfir.^[66] Attach 1991, EIJ broke with al-Zumur, and al-Zawahiri grabbed "the ties of power" to become EIJ leader.^[67]

Ayman al-Zawahiri was previously blue blood the gentry second and last "emir" prepare the Egyptian Islamic Jihad, obtaining succeeded Abbud al-Zumar in excellence latter role when Egyptian directorate sentenced al-Zumar to life threat captivity.

Ayman al-Zawahiri eventually became tune of Egyptian Islamic Jihad's trustworthy organizers and recruiters. Al-Zawahiri's desire was to recruit military work force cane and accumulate weapons, waiting choose the right moment to depart "a complete overthrow of integrity existing order."^[68]Chief strategist of Al-Jihad was Aboud al-Zumar, a colonel in the military intelligence whose plan was to kill class main leaders of the nation, capture the headquarters of decency army and State Security, decency telephone exchange building, and carp course the radio and observer building, where news of nobleness Islamic revolution would then wool broadcast, unleashing – he follow – "a popular uprising opposed secular authority all over loftiness country."^[68]

Maktab al-Khadamat

Al-Qaeda

According to reports by a one-time al-Qaeda member, al-Zawahiri worked strengthen the al-Qaeda organization since close-fitting inception and was a prime member of the group's shura council.

He was often affirmed as a "lieutenant" to Osama bin Laden, though bin Laden's chosen biographer has referred on top of him as the "real brains" of al-Qaeda.^[74]

On February 23, 1998, al-Zawahiri issued a joint fatwa with Osama bin Laden beneath the title "World Islamic Frontage Against Jews and Crusaders".

Al-Zawahiri, not bin Laden, is reflecting to have been the exact author of the fatwa.^[75]

Bin Loaded and al-Zawahiri organized an al-Qaeda congress on June 24, 1998. A week prior to ethics beginning of the conference, trig group of well-armed assistants reach al-Zawahiri had left by jeeps in the direction of City. Following the instructions of their patron, in the town unbutton Koh-i-Doshakh, they met three strange Slavic-looking men who had disembarked from Russia via Iran.

Puzzle out their arrival in Kandahar, they split up. One of prestige Russians was directly escorted top al-Zawahiri and he did remote participate in the conference. Fantasy military intelligence succeeded in obtaining ancestry photographs of him, but explicit disappeared for six years. According to Axis Globe, in 2004, when Qatar and the U.S.

investigated Russian embassy officials whom the United Arab Emirates challenging arrested in connection to rank murder of Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev overfull Qatar, computer software precisely brawny that a man who challenging walked to the Russian diplomatic mission in Doha was the livery one who visited al-Zawahiri previous to the Al-Qaida conference.^[76]

Al-Zawahiri was placed under international sanctions bolster 1999 by the United Nations' Al-Qaida and Taliban Sanctions Commission as a member of goodness Salafi-jihadist group al-Qaeda.^[77]

In June 2001, al-Zawahiri formally merged the Afrasian Islamic Jihad into al-Qaeda.^[78]

In give on to 2001, a computer was afflicted that was stolen from forceful office used by al-Qaeda gaining after the fall of Kabul in November.

This computer was mainly used by al-Zawahiri tolerate contained the fraudulent letter lax to arrange the meeting in the middle of two al-Qaeda attackers posing kind journalists and Ahmad Shah Massoud. The journalists who conducted justness interview assassinated Massoud on Sept 9, 2001.^[79]

Emergence as al-Qaeda's big commander

In late 2004 bin Charged named al-Zawahiri officially as fulfil deputy.^[80] On April 30, 2009, the U.S.

State Department in the air that al-Zawahiri had emerged variety al-Qaeda's operational and strategic commander,^[81] and that Osama bin Full was now only the dogmatic figurehead of the organization.^[81] Aft the 2011 death of case Laden, a senior U.S. wisdom official said intelligence gathered weighty the raid showed that ditch Laden remained deeply involved tight spot planning: "This compound (where eject Laden was killed) in Abbottabad was an active command-and-control feelings for al-Qaeda's leader.

He was active in operational planning put up with in driving tactical decisions contents al-Qaeda."^[82]

Following the death of dispense with Laden, former U.S. Deputy Formal Security Advisor for Combating Obsession Juan Zarate said that al-Zawahiri would "clearly assume the bedspread of leadership" of al-Qaeda.^[83] Fine senior U.S.

administration official articulate that although al-Zawahiri was debatable to be al-Qaeda's next crowned head, his authority was not "universally accepted" among al-Qaeda's followers, especially in the Gulf region. Zarate said that al-Zawahiri was additional controversial and less charismatic by bin Laden.^[84] Rashad Mohammad Ismail (AKA "Abu Al-Fida"), a prime member of al-Qaeda in high-mindedness Arabian Peninsula, stated that al-Zawahiri was the best candidate.^[85]

Hamid Mir is reported to have vocal that he believed that Ayman al-Zawahiri was the operational mind of al-Qaeda, and that "[h]e is the person who glance at do the things that illustration on September 11."^[74] Within epoch of the attacks, al-Zawahiri's nickname was put forward as tub Laden's second-in-command, with reports indicatory of he represented "a more awesome US foe than bin Laden."^[86]

Formal appointment

Al-Zawahiri became the leader tip off al-Qaeda following the May 2, 2011 killing of Osama discard Laden.^[83] His succession to lose one\'s train of thought role was announced on various of their websites on June 16, 2011.^[87]^[40] On the selfsame day, al-Qaeda renewed its ticket that Israel was an dishonest state and that it would not accept any compromise doggedness Palestine.^[88]

The delayed announcement led a selection of analysts to speculate that in attendance was quarreling within al-Qaeda: "It doesn't suggest a vast lake of accumulated goodwill for him," said one celebrity journalist run CNN.^[89] Both U.S.

Secretary ad infinitum DefenseRobert Gates and Chairman detect the Joint Chiefs of StaffMike Mullen maintain that the hold back didn't signal any kind show consideration for dispute within al-Qaeda,^[90] and Mullen reiterated U.S. death threats abide al-Zawahiri.^[91] According to US administration within the Obama administration accept Robert Gates, al-Zawahiri would leave the leadership difficult as, long forgotten intelligent, he lacks combat knowledge and the charisma of Osama bin Laden.^[90]^[92]^[91]

Activities in Iran

Al-Zawahiri at a guess worked with the Islamic Commonwealth of Iran on behalf lay out al-Qaeda.

Author Lawrence Wright doings that EIJ operative Ali Mahomet "told the FBI that al-Jihad had planned a coup convoluted Egypt in 1990." Al-Zawahiri locked away studied the 1979 Islamist Islamic Revolution and "sought training unapproachable the Iranians" as to anyhow to duplicate their feat surface the Egyptian government.^{[citation needed]}

He offered Iran information about an African government plan to storm a handful islands in the Persian Sound that both Iran and magnanimity United Arab Emirates lay put up with to.

According to Mohammed, of great consequence return for this information, decency Iranian government paid al-Zawahiri $2 million and helped train members portend al-Jihad in a coup analyse that never actually took place.^[93]

In public, al-Zawahiri harshly denounced righteousness Iranian government.

In December 2007, he said, "We discovered Persia collaborating with America in spoil invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq." In the same video messages, he moreover chides Iran extend "repeating the ridiculous joke lapse says that al-Qaida and high-mindedness Taliban are agents of America," before playing a video clinch in which Ayatollah Rafsanjani says, "In Afghanistan, they were existent in Afghanistan, because of Al-Qa'ida; and the Taliban, who coined the Taliban?

America is illustriousness one who created the Taleban, and America's friends in blue blood the gentry region are the ones who financed and armed the Taliban."

Al-Zawahiri's criticism of Iran's control continues when he states,

Despite Iran's repetition of the battle cry 'Death to America, death visit Israel,' we haven't heard regular one Fatwa from one Muhammadan authority, whether in Iran youth elsewhere, calling for Jihad wreck the Americans in Iraq bear Afghanistan.

Al-Zawahiri said that "Iran stabbed a knife into the suspend of the Islamic Nation."^[94]

In Apr 2008, al-Zawahiri blamed Iranian repair media and Al-Manar for protection the "lie" that "there bony no heroes among the Sunnis who can hurt America chimpanzee no-one else did in history" in order to discredit description Al Qaeda network.^[95] Al-Zawahiri was referring to some 9/11 parcel theories that claim that Own Qaeda was not responsible funds the 9/11 attacks.^{[citation needed]}

On position seventh anniversary of the attacks of September 11, 2001, al-Zawahiri released a 90-minute tape^[96] double up which he blasted "the beauty of Muslims in Tehran" add to recognizing "the two hireling governments"^[97] in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Activities in Russia

At some point make a way into 1994, al-Zawahiri was said be introduced to have "become a phantom"^[98] however is thought to have tour widely to "Switzerland and Sarajevo". A fake passport he was using shows that he travel to Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore, essential Hong Kong.

On December 1, 1996, Ahmad Salama Mabruk and Mahmud Hisham al-Hennawi – both sharp false passports – accompanied al-Zawahiri on a trip to Chechenia, where they hoped to substitute the faltering Jihad.

Their commander was traveling under the pseudonymAbdullah Imam Mohammed Amin, and marketable on his medical credentials legitimacy. The group switched vehicles three times, but were detention within hours of entering Land territory and spent five months in a Makhachkala prison forthcoming trial. The trio pleaded naiveness, maintaining their disguise while attention to detail al-Jihad members from Bavari-C send the Russian authorities pleas in the direction of leniency for their "merchant" colleagues who had been wrongly cessation in custody.

Russian Member of Parliament Nadyr Khachiliev echoed the pleas assistance their speedy release as al-Jihad members Ibrahim Eidarous and Tharwat Salah Shehata traveled to Dagestan to plead for their liberate. Shehata received permission to drop in on the prisoners. He is accounted to have smuggled $3000 activate them, which was later confiscated, and to have given them a letter which the Russians didn't bother to translate.^[100] Fasten April 1997 the trio were sentenced to six months, were subsequently released a month afterward, and absconded without paying their court-appointed attorney Abulkhalik Abdusalamov wreath $1,800 legal fee, citing "poverty".^[100] Shehata was sent on conversation Chechnya where he met business partner Ibn Khattab.^[98]^[100]^[101]^[102]

There have been doubts as to the true cluster of al-Zawahiri's encounter with rendering Russians in 1996.

Jamestown Brace scholar Evgenii Novikov has argued that it seems unlikely become absent-minded the Russians would not scheme been able to determine who he was, given Russia's knowledgeable Arabists and the suspicious acquaintance of Muslims crossing borders lawlessly with multiple Arabic false identities and encrypted documents.^[103]^[104]^[105] Assassinated earlier FSBsecret service officerAlexander Litvinenko putative, among other things, that all along this time al-Zawahiri was housebroken by the FSB^[106]^[107] and ensure he was not the solitary link between al-Qaeda and nobility FSB.^[108]^[105]^[109] Former KGB officer, Sound of America commentator and author Konstantin Preobrazhenskiy supported Litvinenko's spell.

He said that Litvinenko "was responsible for securing the mystery of Al-Zawahiri's arrival in Empire, who was trained by FSB instructors in Dagestan, Northern Range, during 1996–1997."^[110]

Activities in Egypt

Further information: November 1997 Luxor massacre

Al-Zawahiri was convicted of dealing in weapons and received a three-year verdict, which he completed in 1984, shortly after his conviction.^[111]

Al-Zawahiri au fait of a "Nonviolence Initiative" reorganized in Egypt to end description terror campaign that had stick hundreds and resulting government inhibition that had imprisoned thousands.

Al-Zawahiri angrily opposed this "surrender" bear hug letters to the London newsprint Al-Sharq al-Awsat.^[112] Together with components of al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya, he helped organize a massive attack get the impression tourists at the Temple collide Hatshepsut to sabotagethe initiative from end to end of provoking the government into repression.^[113]

The attack by six men adorn in police uniforms succeeded creepy-crawly machine-gunning and hacking to get 58 foreign tourists and quaternion Egyptians, including "a five-year-old Land child and four Japanese couples on their honeymoons," and gobsmacked the Egyptian tourist industry transfer a number of years.

However, the Egyptian reaction was slogan what al-Zawahiri had hoped rationalize. The attack so stunned unacceptable angered Egyptian society that Islamists denied responsibility. Al-Zawahiri blamed illustriousness police for the killing, on the other hand also held the tourists faithful for their own deaths apportion coming to Egypt,

The give out of Egypt consider the presentation of these foreign tourists restrict be aggression against Muslims captain Egypt...

The young men preparation saying that this is communiquй country and not a dwell in for frolicking and enjoyment, same for you.^[114]

Al-Zawahiri was sentenced pact deathin absentia in 1999 exceed an Egyptian military tribunal.^[115]

Activities alight whereabouts after the September 11 attacks

In December 2001, al-Zawahiri available a book entitled Fursan Taht Rayat al Nabi^[116] (Knights In the shade the Prophet's Banner) which defined ideologies of al-Qaeda.^[117] English translations of this book were published; excerpts are available online.^[118]

...The in two shakes power depends on God solitary, then on its wide esteem and alliance with other pains movements throughout the Islamic analysis, from Chechnya in the northernmost to Somalia in the southern and from "Eastern Turkestan spiky the east to Morocco rework the west.^[119]^[120]^{[self-published source?]}^[121]

...It seeks repayment against the gang-leaders of pandemic unbelief, the United States, Empire, and Israel.

It demands nobleness blood price for the martyrs, the mothers' grief, the badly off orphans, the suffering prisoners, refuse the torments of those who are tortured everywhere in nobleness Islamic lands―from Turkistan in class east to Andalusia.^[122]

...It also gave young Muslim mujahidin―Arabs, Pakistanis, Turks, and Muslims from Central instruct East Asia―a great opportunity fall prey to get acquainted with each mother on the land of Envelope jihad through their comradeship-at-arms disagree with the enemies of Islam.^[123]^[124]^[125]

Following rendering U.S.

invasion of Afghanistan, al-Zawahiri's whereabouts were unknown, but forbidden was generally thought to reasonably in tribal Pakistan. Although no problem released videos of himself repeatedly, al-Zawahiri did not appear corresponding bin Laden in any tip off them after 2003. In 2003, it was rumored that crystal-clear was under arrest in Persia, although this was later ascertained to be false.^[126]

On January 13, 2006, the Central Intelligence Department, aided by Pakistan's ISI, launched an airstrike on Damadola, clean Pakistani village near the Coat border where they believed al-Zawahiri was located.

The airstrike was supposed to kill al-Zawahiri beam this was reported in universal news over the following era. Many victims of the airstrike were buried unidentified. Anonymous U.S. government officials claimed that repellent terrorists were killed and distinction Bajaur tribal area government firm that at least four terrorists were among the dead.^[127] Anti-American protests broke out around loftiness country and the Pakistani authority condemned the U.S.

attack boss the loss of innocent life.^[128]

On August 1, 2008, CBS Material reported that it had derived a copy of an intercepted letter dated July 29, 2008, from unnamed sources in Pakistan, which urgently requested a dr. to treat al-Zawahiri. The note indicated that al-Zawahiri was severely injured in a US rocket strike at Azam Warsak regional in South Waziristan on July 28 that also reportedly attach al Qaeda explosives expert Abu Khabab al-Masri.

Taliban Mehsud advocate Maulvi Umar told the Reciprocal Press on August 2, 2008, that the report of al-Zawahiri's injury was false.^[129]

In early Sept 2008, Pakistan Army claimed lapse they "almost" captured al-Zawahiri aft getting information that he abide his wife were in greatness Mohmand Agency, in northwest Pakistan.

After raiding the area, corridors of power didn't find him.^[130]

General Emir have a high regard for al-Qaeda

In two videos posted package Jihadist websites in 2012, al-Zawahiri called on Muslims to "capture" foreign citizens to leverage goodness release of Omar Abdel-Rahman, genius of the 1993 World Profession Center bombing.^[131]

In June 2013, al-Zawahiri arbitrated against the merger fall for the Islamic State of Irak with the Syrian-based Jabhat al-Nusra into Islamic State of Irak and the Levant as was declared in April by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.^[132]Abu Mohammad al-Julani, chief of al-Nusra Front, affirmed rank group's allegiance to al-Qaeda dispatch al-Zawahiri.^[133]^[134]

In September 2015, al-Zawahiri urged Islamic State (ISIL) to cram fighting al-Nusra Front, the authoritative al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria,^[135] existing to unite with all mother jihadists against the supposed combination between America, Russia, Europe, Shiites and Iran, and Bashar al-Assad'sAlawiteregime.^[136]^[137]

Ayman al-Zawahiri released a statement conduct jihad in Xinjiang against Sinitic, jihad in the Caucasus averse the Russians and naming Somalia, Yemen, Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan as battlegrounds.^[138] al-Zawahiri endorsed "jihad to liberate every span pills land of the Muslims make certain has been usurped and erratic, from Kashgar to Andalusia, skull from the Caucasus to Somalia and Central Africa".^[139]Uyghurs inhabit Kashgar, the city which was character by al-Zawahiri.^[140] In another schedule he said, "My mujahideen brothers in all places and disregard all groups ...

we small aggression from America, Europe, leading Russia ... so it's frustrate to us to stand obscure as one from East Turkestan to Morocco".^[141]^[142]^[143] In 2015, illustriousness Turkistan Islamic Party (East Turkestan Islamic Movement) released an showing showing Al Qaeda leaders Ayman al-Zawahiri and Osama Bin Loaded meeting with Hasan Mahsum.^[144]^{[non-primary strategic needed]}

The Uyghurs East Turkestan home rule movement was endorsed in honourableness serial "Islamic Spring"'s 9th liberation by Al-Zawahiri.

Al-Zawahiri confirmed desert the Afghanistan war after 911 included the participation of Uyghurs and that the jihadists need Zarwaqi, Bin Ladin and loftiness Uyghur Hasan Mahsum were unsatisfactory with refuge together in Afghanistan under Taliban rule.^[145]^[146] Uyghur fighters were praised by al-Zawahiri, heretofore a Turkistan Islamic Party absolute a Bishkek bombing on Grand 30.^[147] Uighur jihadists were hailed by Ayman al-Zawahiri.^[148]

Doğu Türkistan Bülteni Haber Ajansı reported that influence Uyghur Turkistan Islamic Party was praised by Abu Qatada administer with Abdul Razzaq al Mahdi, Maqdisi, Muhaysini and al-Zawahiri.^[149]

Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi and Abu Qatada were referenced by Muhaysini.

Osama dismiss Laden and al-Zawahiri were legend by Muhaysini.^[150]

The Rewards for Frankness Program of the U.S. Offshoot of State offered a award of up to US$25 million sale information about al-Zawahiri's location.^[151]^[152]

On July 31, 2022, al-Zawahiri was handle in a US strike put in Kabul, Afghanistan.

He had antiquated rumoured to be in Pakistan's national area or inside Afghanistan. Empress death is considered to superiority the biggest hit to distinction terrorist group since Osama Tub Laden was killed in 2011.^[153] Others described his death monkey "anticlimactic to Al Qaeda's demise", stating "[h]is moves as commander of the shrinking group were watched more by analysts by by jihadists" at the put on ice of his death.^[154]

Promotional activities

Al-Zawahiri tell stories supreme importance on winning destroy support, and castigatedAbu Musab al-Zarqawi in this regard: "In rectitude absence of this popular hind, the Islamic mujahid movement would be crushed in the shadows."^[155]

Video and audio messages

Main article: Videos and audio recordings of Ayman al-Zawahiri

2000s

August 4, 2005: al-Zawahiri issues a televised statement blaming past British prime minister Tony Solon and his government's foreign practice for the 7 July 2005 London bombings.^[156]
September 1, 2005: al-Jazeera broadcasts a video message munch through Mohammed Sidique Khan, one beat somebody to it bombers of the London Below-ground.

His message is followed building block another message from al-Zawahiri, counter-accusation again Tony Blair for honesty 7/7 bombings.^[157]
September 19, 2005: al-Zawahiri claims responsibility for the Writer bombings and dismisses U.S. efforts in Afghanistan.^[158]^[159]
April 3, 2008: al-Zawahiri said that al-Qaeda doesn't adroitness innocents and that its [former] leader Osama bin Laden even-handed healthy.

The questions asked sovereignty views about Egypt and Irak, as well as Hamas.^[160]
April 22, 2008: An audio interview outer shell which, among other subjects, al-Zawahiri attacks the Shiite Iran viewpoint Hezbollah for blaming the 911 attacks on Israel, and for this reason discrediting al-Qaeda.^[161]
On the 7th go to of the attacks of Sept 11, 2001, al-Zawahiri released practised 90-minute tape,^[96] in which of course blasted "the guardian of Muslims in Tehran" for "the digit hireling governments"^[97] in Iraq person in charge Afghanistan.
January 7, 2009: An frequency message released, where al-Zawahiri vows revenge for Israel's air submit ground assault on Gaza skull calls the Jewish state's goings-on against Hamas militants "a gift" from U.S.

President-elect Barack Obama for the recent uprising fight in Gaza.^[162]
October 4, 2009: The New York Times reported walk al-Zawahiri had asserted that Libya had tortured Ibn Al Ruler Al Libi to death.^[163] Unnecessary Libi was a key fount the George W. Bush Wheel had claimed established that Irak had provided training to al-Qaeda in Iraq's weapons of all-inclusive destruction.
December 14, 2009: In young adult audio recording released on Dec 14, 2009, al-Zawahiri renewed calls to establish an Islamic flow in Israel and urged empress followers to "seek jihad averse Jews" and their supporters.

Recognized also called for jihad break the rules America and the West, present-day labeled Egyptian president Hosni Statesman, King Abdullah II of River, and King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia as description "brothers of Satan".^[164]

2010s

June 8, 2011: al-Zawahiri released his first record since the killing of Osama bin Laden, praising bin Weighted biased and warning the U.S.

suggest reprisal attacks, but without staking a claim on the administration of al-Qaeda.^[165]
September 3, 2014: Dense a 55-minute-long video, al-Zawahiri declared the formation of a another wing called al-Qaeda in goodness Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), which would wage jihad "to liberate sheltered land, to restore its rule, and to revive its Caliphate."^[166] Reaction amongst Muslims in Bharat to the formation of picture new wing was one scope fury.^[167]
March 2018: al-Zawahiri posts span video entitled "America is rendering First Enemy of the Muslims", where he defends the Mohammedan Brotherhood and claims that representation US is "working with Arab Arabia to train imams build up rewrite religious textbooks".

This shambles his sixth video in 2018. He refers to Rex Tillerson's firing as US Secretary persuade somebody to buy State in the Trump administration.^[168]
September 11, 2019: al-Zawahiri posts boss 9/11 18th anniversary propaganda videocassette entitled "And They Shall Domain to Fight You" through al-Qaeda media outlet As Sahab.

Al-Zawahiri condemns Islamic scholars who confiscate al-Qaeda for the 9/11 attacks and continues to call target jihad regarding Israel and Canaan. Clips of Donald Trump advocate Benjamin Netanyahu were inter-spaced diffuse the video.^[169]

2020s

Online Q&A

In mid-December 2007, al-Zawahiri's spokespeople announced plans collaboration an "open interview" on natty handful of Islamic Web sites.

The administrators of four report on jihadistweb sites have been approved to collect and forward questions, "unedited", they pledge, and "regardless of whether they are see the point of support of or are against" al-Qaeda, which would be forwarded to al-Zawahiri on January 16.^[172] al-Zawahiri responded to the questions later in 2008; among authority things he said were turn al-Qaeda didn't kill innocents, advocate that al-Qaeda would move oppose target Israel "after expelling integrity occupier from Iraq".^[173]^[174]

Views

Islamism

As a governor of Egyptian Islamic Jihad, al-Zawahiri conceived of Islamism in Empire as a revolutionary movement cataclysm heroic fighters who the crowd would join in the wake up agitate of their victories.

The desire was mostly a failure, counting its crushing defeat and end by the Egyptian government mass the assassination of Anwar Solon. The popular uprising envisioned saturate al-Zawahiri never came to elect, and some Islamist leaders large-scale to cease-fire terms with rendering government. After these events, al-Zawahiri joined Al-Qaeda, which had aims that were international in trademark and was focused on ethics conflict with the United States rather than the ongoing decentralized conflict with the secular conditions in Egypt.^[175]

Loyalty and enmity

In clever lengthy treatise titled "Loyalty professor Enmity", al-Zawahiri said that Muslims must at all times carve loyal to Islam and foster one another, while hating blunder avoiding everything and everyone shell of Islam.^[176]

Female combatants

Iranians

In 2008 he claimed that "Persians" are the enemy of Arabs and that Iran cooperated give way the U.S. during the discovery of Iraq.^[178]

Death

Main article: Killing interpret Ayman al-Zawahiri

Al-Zawahiri was killed theme July 31, 2022, shortly make sure of 6:00 a.m.

local time in rule out early-morning drone strike conducted vulgar the U.S. Central Intelligence Office in the upscale Sherpur locality of Kabul, reportedly in a-okay house owned by a crown aide to Sirajuddin Haqqani, unadorned senior official in the Taleban government.^[179]^[180]^[181]

In a statement to flatten, a senior administration official vocal "over the weekend, the Pooled States conducted a counterterrorism value against a significant Al Fto target in Afghanistan.

The begin was successful and there were no civilian casualties."^[180] The Combined States Department of Defense denied responsibility for the strike, measure the United States Central Expertise declined to comment.^[180] On Honorable 1, delayed by two age to allow time for apt verification of the operation's welfare, President Joe Biden announced pseudo the White House that influence U.S.

Intelligence Community had transpire al-Zawahiri as he moved be concerned with downtown Kabul in early 2022 and that President Biden locked away authorized the operation a workweek prior. Biden also stated ditch the operation did not injury any members of al-Zawahiri's race or other civilians.^[182]^[183]

According to U.S.

government sources, Al-Zawahiri was attach by Hellfire missiles fired stranger a Reaper drone.^[184]^[185] Press cornucopia have speculated that the missiles may have been R9X Acheron missiles, which are designed chitchat kill by impact and be on a par with blades instead of explosion achieve avoid unintended casualties.^[186]^[187]

Al Qaeda tag on December 2022 released a television it stated was narrated spawn al-Zawahiri.

The video was dateless and did not mention conj at the time that the recording of the acoustic was done.^[188] In February 2023, the United Nations reported defer many member countries believed Saif al-Adel to be the de-facto successor of al-Zawahiri, but al-Qaeda had not formally named him to probably avoid scrutiny realize the Taliban for giving seclude yourself to the latter and franchise to al-Adel living in Iran.^[189]