Nairobi (Sunatimes)
Al-Qaeda on Thursday named Ayman al-Zawahiri as its new chief to succeed the
slain Osama bin Laden and vowed there will be no let up in its “jihad’ against
the United States and Israel”.
“The general command of al Qaeda announces, after
consultations, the appointment of Sheikh Ayman al-Zawahiri as head of the
group,” the network said in statement posted on a militant website.
Zawahiri, the group’s long-time number two,
succeeds bin Laden who was killed by US commandos in May 2 raid in Pakistan.
The statement said that under Zawahiri’s
leadership al Qaeda would pursue its ‘jihad’ (holy war) against the United
States and Israel.
“We seek with the aid of God to call for the
religion of truth and incite our nation to fight…by carrying out jihad against
the apostate invaders…with their head being crusader America and its servant
Israel, and whoever supports them,” said the statement.
The fight would continue “until all invading
armies leave the land of Islam”.
Al-Zawahiri was bin Laden's longtime deputy. He is
believed to be operating from somewhere near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
Al-Zawahiri, an Egyptian surgeon, has for years
been al- Qaeda’s public face, with video and audio messages threatening attacks
against Western targets and attempting to turn Muslim populations against their
governments.
Al-Zawahiri, 59, was wanted in the U.S. even
before the 2001 attacks targeting New York’s World Trade Center and the
Pentagon, which killed more than 3,000.
Al-Zawahri's father was a pharmacology professor
at Cairo University's medical school and his grandfather was the grand imam of
Al-Azhar University, a premier center of religious study.
By Bariga Afrika
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Alqaeda appoints Al-Zawaahiri as the New Boss
Al-Zawahiri was bin Laden's longtime deputy. He is believed to be operating from somewhere near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.