Videos of Ayman al-Zawahiri
Encyclopedia
There have been several video and audio recordings released by Ayman al-Zawahiri
. Many of the al-Zawahiri tapes have been released directly (by mail or messenger) to Arabic language
satellite television networks, like al-Jazeera.
and al-Zawahiri hiking in the mountains
, who was killed by two 500 lbs. bombs in an isolated safehouse in Baquba, Iraq
. In the following statements, al-Qaeda still proposes to carry out imminent terrorist attacks including New York
and London
.
and South-Lebanon
.
, and says that the two groups will form "one line, facing its enemies."
, Lebanon
, Somalia
and to the historic figure Dr. Brydon
. On the fifth anniversary of his terror network's most infamous attacks, al-Zawahiri appears in a video carried by al-Jazeera. The video follows others appearing in the weeks before, but makes specific reference to recent events in Lebanon and the kidnapping of Israeli soldiers by militants. Ayman al-Zawahiri warns of new attacks in the Persian Gulf
and Israel
.
. He called the pope a charlatan, but didn't call for any action.
.
in Somalia
.
for its compromise with Fatah
to form a coalition government for the Palestinian Authority.
that would have set dates for troop withdrawals
, saying, "This bill will deprive us of the opportunity to destroy the American forces which we have caught in a historic trap."
will give a "very precise response" and he also warns Gordon Brown
, the new Prime Minister
, that he must "learn" from the mistakes of his predecessor Tony Blair
or they will be ready to repeat the attacks (reference to 7/7).
On September 19, 2007 al-Zawahiri reported, via public video, that the United States was being defeated in Afghanistan, Iraq and other places. Video
The 80-minute video took the form of a documentary, interspersing speech by Zawahiri with footage from the September 11 attacks, interviews with experts and officials taken from western and Arab television stations, and old footage and audiotapes of Bin Laden.
Zawahiri began by condemning the Pakistani military's July assault on Islamic militants who took over the Red mosque, and paid tribute to one of the militants' leaders, Abdul Rashid Ghazi, who was killed in the fighting.
The siege "revealed the extent of the despicableness, lowliness and treason of Musharraf and his forces, who don't deserve the honour of defending Pakistan, because Pakistan is a Muslim land, whereas the forces of Musharraf are hunting dogs under Bush's crucifix", Zawahiri said.
In the recording, al-Zawahiri condemned the recent Israeli-Palestinian peace summit in Annapolis, Maryland and insisted that it was time for Palestinians to recognize "who your real brothers are—those who haven’t abandoned you, even though you accused them of terrorism and radicalism. [They] won't stop working to free Palestine and encouraging the Islamic nation to do the same, even if you flatter the West by condemning them.”
Barack Obama
. He also made references to Malcolm X
and said Obama, Colin Powell
and Condoleezza Rice
fit Malcolm X's description of "house Negroes." Additionally, he spoke of American defeat in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as encouraging more resistance to America, the "trespassing Crusader".
and Abu Omar al-Baghdadi. It was the fist message broadcast since December. Al-Zawahiri likened the slain leaders to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
, the Jordanian-born militant who created the group and was killed in a 2006 U.S. airstrike, crediting them with reviving jihad, or holy war, in Iraq.
?" he charged. "This metal fence is a shame for the people of Egypt who let the chief of Arab Zionists besiege their brothers," in Gaza, he added. He went on to accuse Jordan's king Abdullah II, Saudi King Abdullah and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas of being "Zionists." "Who is providing his intelligence service to serve US intelligence and (Israel's) Mossad? Is he not the heir of traitors, Abdullah, the son of (late King) Hussein" of Jordan, he said. "And who is aiding Mossad to kill the Mujahedeen (holy warriors) and capture them? Is he not the Arab Zionist Mahmoud Abbas?," he charged. "And who presented an initiative (for Middle East peace), following the directions of Jewish (US journalist) Thomas Friedman, and organised an inter-faith dialogue conference where he shook hands with (Israeli President Shimon) Peres? Is he not the Arab Zionist Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz?," he added. He slammed Arab leaders collectively for backing the Saudi-drafted peace initiative, which was first presented in 2002, offering Israel full recognition in return for its withdrawal from the occupied territories and a just settlement for refugees. "Who were those who agreed collectively to hand most of Palestine to the Jews, and said that the refugees issue can only be settled in arrangements with the Jews? "Were they not the Arab rulers in their shameful initiative," he asked. In his new tape, he also lashed out at Obama."Poor Obama comes to Kabul pledging that Taliban will not return to power... Poor you, can you promise that your herds (of soldiers) will return safe to America?," he charged."You threaten the Taliban, you are just a puppet of the tyrants... We will see who will not return to Kabul because he will flee it hastily in fear.""Obama, whether you admit it or not, Muslims have defeated you in Iraq and Afghanistan and will defeat you in Palestine, Somalia and the Islamic Maghreb," he added.He hailed Taliban's military action against coalition forces in the south of Afghanistan, congratulating its leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar, on his "steadfastness" and vowing allegiance to him as "the leader of the believers.""Congratulations to the Muslim Ummah (nation)... and to the leader of the believers, the patient mujahed, Mulla Umar... the imminent victory, " he said."Before that, congratulations on your steadfastness against infidels and tyranny," he added."We renew our vow of allegiance to you... on the path of jihad (holy war) in the name of Allah," he said.
, al-Zawahiri warned that bin Laden would continue to "terrify" the US from beyond the grave. Notably however, he did not stake a claim to take over as head of al-Qaeda. He also backed the wave of Arab unrest
, calling for Sharia Islamic law to be applied in Egypt, but warned Libyans that Nato's bombing campaign aimed to replace Muammar Gaddafi with a Western-backed tyrannical regime. The statement was posted on Jihadist websites.
Ayman al-Zawahiri
Ayman Mohammed Rabie al-Zawahiri is an Egyptian physician, Islamic theologian and current leader of al-Qaeda. He was previously the second and last "emir" of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad, having succeeded Abbud al-Zumar in the latter role when Egyptian authorities sentenced al-Zumar to life...
. Many of the al-Zawahiri tapes have been released directly (by mail or messenger) to Arabic language
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
satellite television networks, like al-Jazeera.
May 17, 2003
Broadcast between May 17 and 23rd of 2003, this video referenced "Norway" multiple times and instructed to "Raize/Singe the floor right out from under their feet... the political and corporate interests... of the United States and Norway" which caused evacuation of American consulates in Norway and lock-down of Norwegian presence globally. Two weeks later, the American cruise ship SS Norway had a boiler explosion while in Miami on Memorial Day, with no directly indicted link to extremists .September 10, 2003
al-Jazeera broadcast footage of Osama bin LadenOsama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
and al-Zawahiri hiking in the mountains
January 6, 2006
- January 6, 2006 - al-Zawahiri says U.S. President Bush's plan to withdraw troops from Iraq means Washington had been defeated in Iraq. al-Zawahiri is quoted as saying, "Bush, you must confess that you have been defeated in Iraq and in Afghanistan and you will be in Palestine soon." al-Zawahiri also conveys his condolences to the people of PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
struck by the catastrophic 2005 Kashmir Earthquake2005 Kashmir earthquakeThe 2005 Kashmir earthquake was a major earthquake centered in Pakistan-administered Kashmir known as Azad Kashmir, near the city of Muzaffarabad, affecting Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It occurred at 08:52:37 Pakistan Standard Time on 8 October 2005...
.
January 30, 2006
In a video broadcast by al-Jazeera, he mocks Bush and brands him the "Butcher of Washington." The video also proves that he was not killed in a recent Pakistan airstrike. al-Zawahiri promises that the next terrorist attack would be on U.S. soil.April 27, 2006
al-Zawahiri says in a video that the terror network's branch in Iraq has succeeded in "breaking the back" of the U.S. military with hundreds of suicide bombings.June 9, 2006
In a video broadcast by al-Jazeera, he praises the work of the al-Qaeda in Iraq leader, Abu Musab al-ZarqawiAbu Musab al-Zarqawi
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi ; October 30, 1966 – June 7, 2006), born Ahmad Fadeel al-Nazal al-Khalayleh was a Jordanian militant Islamist who ran a paramilitary training camp in Afghanistan...
, who was killed by two 500 lbs. bombs in an isolated safehouse in Baquba, Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. In the following statements, al-Qaeda still proposes to carry out imminent terrorist attacks including New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
June 22, 2006
al-Zawahiri urged Afghans to fight foreign soldiers in AfghanistanAfghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
- July 7, 2006 - One year after the train bombings in London Ayman al-Zawahiri reveals that two of the suicide bombers were trained by al-Qaeda in PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
.
July 27, 2006
al-Zawahiri shows his support for the insurgents in GazaGaza
Gaza , also referred to as Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,...
and South-Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
.
August 5, 2006
al-Zawahiri appears in a video in which Muhammad Khalil al-Hukaymah claims that al-Qaeda has joined forces with the long-quiet Egyptian militant group al-Gama'a al-IslamiyyaAl-Gama'a al-Islamiyya
Al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya is an Egyptian Islamist movement, and is considered a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union and Egyptian governments...
, and says that the two groups will form "one line, facing its enemies."
September 10, 2006
A video-interview with al-Zawahiri of over an hour length is published on several internet sites. He makes reference to the situations in GazaGaza
Gaza , also referred to as Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,...
, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
and to the historic figure Dr. Brydon
William Brydon
William Brydon CB was an assistant surgeon in the British East India Company Army during the First Anglo-Afghan War and is famous for being the only member of an army of 4,500 men to reach safety in Jalalabad at the end of the long retreat from Kabul.He was born in London of Scottish descent...
. On the fifth anniversary of his terror network's most infamous attacks, al-Zawahiri appears in a video carried by al-Jazeera. The video follows others appearing in the weeks before, but makes specific reference to recent events in Lebanon and the kidnapping of Israeli soldiers by militants. Ayman al-Zawahiri warns of new attacks in the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
and Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
.
September 29, 2006
al-Zawahiri commented in a videomessage on the recent Pope Benedict XVI Islam controversyPope Benedict XVI Islam controversy
The Regensburg lecture was delivered on 12 September 2006 by Pope Benedict XVI at the University of Regensburg in Germany, where he had once served as a professor of theology. It was entitled "Glaube, Vernunft und Universität — Erinnerungen und Reflexionen"...
. He called the pope a charlatan, but didn't call for any action.
December 20, 2006
al-Zawahiri speaks out against early elections for the Palestinian AuthorityPalestinian National Authority
The Palestinian Authority is the administrative organization established to govern parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip...
.
January 5, 2007
al-Zawahiri showed his support for the Islamic Courts Union after the intervention of EthiopiaEthiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
in Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
.
March 11, 2007
al-Zawahiri criticized HamasHamas
Hamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
for its compromise with Fatah
Fatah
Fataḥ is a major Palestinian political party and the largest faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization , a multi-party confederation. In Palestinian politics it is on the left-wing of the spectrum; it is mainly nationalist, although not predominantly socialist. Its official goals are found...
to form a coalition government for the Palestinian Authority.
May 5, 2007
al-Zawahiri speaks out against the funding bill passed by the US congress and later vetoed by President BushGeorge W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
that would have set dates for troop withdrawals
Withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq
The withdrawal of American military forces from Iraq has been a contentious issue within the United States since the beginning of the Iraq War. As the war has progressed from its initial 2003 invasion phase to a multi-year occupation, U.S. public opinion has turned in favor of troop withdrawal...
, saying, "This bill will deprive us of the opportunity to destroy the American forces which we have caught in a historic trap."
July 10, 2007
A video in which al-Zawahiri condemns the actions of the UK for giving Salman Rushdie a knighthood. He states that al-QaedaAl-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
will give a "very precise response" and he also warns Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
, the new Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
, that he must "learn" from the mistakes of his predecessor Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
or they will be ready to repeat the attacks (reference to 7/7).
September 19, 2007
On Thursday, September 19, Al Qaeda's Dr. Ayman Al-Zawahiri also released a video calling for Jihad in Pakistan and around the world. The video was called “The Power of Truth” – Video Documentary from as-Sahab on the War Between Islam and the United States and the WestOn September 19, 2007 al-Zawahiri reported, via public video, that the United States was being defeated in Afghanistan, Iraq and other places. Video
The 80-minute video took the form of a documentary, interspersing speech by Zawahiri with footage from the September 11 attacks, interviews with experts and officials taken from western and Arab television stations, and old footage and audiotapes of Bin Laden.
Zawahiri began by condemning the Pakistani military's July assault on Islamic militants who took over the Red mosque, and paid tribute to one of the militants' leaders, Abdul Rashid Ghazi, who was killed in the fighting.
The siege "revealed the extent of the despicableness, lowliness and treason of Musharraf and his forces, who don't deserve the honour of defending Pakistan, because Pakistan is a Muslim land, whereas the forces of Musharraf are hunting dogs under Bush's crucifix", Zawahiri said.
November 2, 2007
An audiotape from al-Zawahiri has been published in which he announced that a Libyan group joined al-Qaida. He called for the removal of Libyan leader Gaddafi and to overthrow the governments of several other North-African countries.December 14, 2007
An audio recording titled "Annapolis: The Betrayal" and released on Dec. 14 was made by ZawahiriIn the recording, al-Zawahiri condemned the recent Israeli-Palestinian peace summit in Annapolis, Maryland and insisted that it was time for Palestinians to recognize "who your real brothers are—those who haven’t abandoned you, even though you accused them of terrorism and radicalism. [They] won't stop working to free Palestine and encouraging the Islamic nation to do the same, even if you flatter the West by condemning them.”
December 16, 2007
A videotape in which al-Zawahiri said the decision of UK forces to "flee" Basra shows that Iraqi insurgents are gaining strength.March 23, 2008
On March 23, 2008 Zawahiri released a tape entitled "A Call to Help Our People in Gaza". During his speech, Zawahiri called upon Muslims everywhere to “attack the interests of the Jews and the Americans… Select your targets, collect the appropriate funds, assemble your equipment, plan [your attacks] accurately, and then charge towards your targets… There is no place today for those who claim that the battlefield with the Jews is limited to Palestine… Let us hit their interests everywhere.”April 2, 2008
On April 2 Zawahiri released the first part of his Q&A with the general public and journalists, entitled "The Open Meeting - Part 1". Advertisements for submitting questions were international. A new 90-minute audio recording released today of Al-Qaida's Deputy Commander Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri. During the audio recording, Dr. al-Zawahiri responded to many of the hundreds of questions recently submitted on extremist web forums by Al-Qaida supporters and other interested parties.April 17, 2008
On April 17 Zawahiri released a new tape entitled "On the Fifth Anniversary of the Invasion and Torture of Iraq". During the audio recording, Dr. al-Zawahiri boasted, "the first signs of victory have already appeared… Soon, Iraq will become a fortress of Islam, from whence the squadrons and regiments tasked with liberating the Al-Aqsa mosque [in Jerusalem] will burst forth, with the help of Allah. Iraq today is the most important frontline for the participation of our Islamic nation against the forces of the crusader zionist invasion. Due to this, providing assistance to the mujahideen in Iraq—at their head, the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI)—is one of the most important duties required of the Islamic nation today.” Al-Zawahiri further warned that Muslims "should act now before it is too late. The vanguard should act before we see General Petraeus riding into the streets of Cairo and Riyadh leading ‘Awakening movements’ seeking to spill blood, and storm and violate the holy places.”April 21, 2008
On April 21 Zawahiri released the second and final part of his Q&A with the general public and journalists, entitled "The Open Meeting - Part 2". Advertisements for submitting questions were international. During the audio recording, Dr. al-Zawahiri responded to many of the hundreds of questions recently submitted on extremist web forums by Al-Qaida supporters and other interested parties. This time there Zawahiri made no English translation made available with a document or subtitles as with the first. Part 2 of Zawahiri's "Town Hall" meeting where he answers questions posted by visitors to the jihadist forums has just been released. The question and answer format was released in audio format in Arabic, with a 79-page Arabic language transcript. No English transcript was provided.June 04, 2008
On June 4 Zawahiri released a message marking the anniversary of the start of the 1967 Arab-Israeli war called Lift the Siege of GazaSeptember 9, 2008
New video released on Al Jazeera condemning Shiite nations for not encouraging jihad and accusing Iran of collaborating with the United States in occupying Iraq and Afghanistan.November 19, 2008
A video, with English subtitles, was released severely criticizing President-electPresident-elect
An -elect is a political candidate who has been elected to an office but who has not yet been sworn in or officially taken office. These may include an incoming president, senator, representative, governor and mayor.Analogously, the term "designate" An -elect is a political candidate who has been...
Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
. He also made references to Malcolm X
Malcolm X
Malcolm X , born Malcolm Little and also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz , was an African American Muslim minister and human rights activist. To his admirers he was a courageous advocate for the rights of African Americans, a man who indicted white America in the harshest terms for its...
and said Obama, Colin Powell
Colin Powell
Colin Luther Powell is an American statesman and a retired four-star general in the United States Army. He was the 65th United States Secretary of State, serving under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005. He was the first African American to serve in that position. During his military...
and Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice is an American political scientist and diplomat. She served as the 66th United States Secretary of State, and was the second person to hold that office in the administration of President George W. Bush...
fit Malcolm X's description of "house Negroes." Additionally, he spoke of American defeat in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as encouraging more resistance to America, the "trespassing Crusader".
June 2, 2009
Al-Zawahiri released the message one day before Osama Bin Laden released his message. In the message, he criticized US President Barack Obama, saying he was not welcome in Egypt, where he went to give a speech.December 14, 2009
In an audio recording released on December 14, 2009, Zawahiri renewed calls to establish an Islamic state in Israel and urged his followers to “seek jihad against Jews” and their supporters. He also called for jihad against America and the West, and labeled Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, King Abdullah II of Jordan and King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia as the “brothers of Satan.”May 20, 2010
In an audio recording released on May 20, 2010 that the recently slain leaders of the group's offshoot in Iraq Abu Ayyub al-MasriAbu Ayyub al-Masri
Abu Ayyub al-Masri , also known as Abu Hamza al-Muhajir and other aliases , was an active combattant of al-Qaeda and at least a senior aide to former leader of Al-Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. When Zarqawi was killed in a U.S. airstrike on 7 June 2006, U.S...
and Abu Omar al-Baghdadi. It was the fist message broadcast since December. Al-Zawahiri likened the slain leaders to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi ; October 30, 1966 – June 7, 2006), born Ahmad Fadeel al-Nazal al-Khalayleh was a Jordanian militant Islamist who ran a paramilitary training camp in Afghanistan...
, the Jordanian-born militant who created the group and was killed in a 2006 U.S. airstrike, crediting them with reviving jihad, or holy war, in Iraq.
July 20, 2010
In an audio tape al-Zawahiri slammed Arab leaders as "Zionists" who are helping Israel's siege of the Gaza Strip. He also mocked US President Barack Obama for saying that the Taliban will not gain power in Afghanistan, hailing at the same time, the "victory" of the Islamist militant group against coalition forces. "These Arab Zionists are more dangerous than Jewish Zionists," Zawahiri said in the audiotape posted on an Islamist website that stated the message was produced by Al-Qaeda's Al-Fajr media arm. He hit out at Egypt in particular for planning to build an underground metal fence with Gaza to curb cross-border smuggling. "Who is besieging our people in Gaza and is surrounding them with an underground metal fence? Is he not the chief of Arab Zionists (Egyptian President) Hosni MubarakHosni Mubarak
Muhammad Hosni Sayyid Mubarak is a former Egyptian politician and military commander. He served as the fourth President of Egypt from 1981 to 2011....
?" he charged. "This metal fence is a shame for the people of Egypt who let the chief of Arab Zionists besiege their brothers," in Gaza, he added. He went on to accuse Jordan's king Abdullah II, Saudi King Abdullah and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas of being "Zionists." "Who is providing his intelligence service to serve US intelligence and (Israel's) Mossad? Is he not the heir of traitors, Abdullah, the son of (late King) Hussein" of Jordan, he said. "And who is aiding Mossad to kill the Mujahedeen (holy warriors) and capture them? Is he not the Arab Zionist Mahmoud Abbas?," he charged. "And who presented an initiative (for Middle East peace), following the directions of Jewish (US journalist) Thomas Friedman, and organised an inter-faith dialogue conference where he shook hands with (Israeli President Shimon) Peres? Is he not the Arab Zionist Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz?," he added. He slammed Arab leaders collectively for backing the Saudi-drafted peace initiative, which was first presented in 2002, offering Israel full recognition in return for its withdrawal from the occupied territories and a just settlement for refugees. "Who were those who agreed collectively to hand most of Palestine to the Jews, and said that the refugees issue can only be settled in arrangements with the Jews? "Were they not the Arab rulers in their shameful initiative," he asked. In his new tape, he also lashed out at Obama."Poor Obama comes to Kabul pledging that Taliban will not return to power... Poor you, can you promise that your herds (of soldiers) will return safe to America?," he charged."You threaten the Taliban, you are just a puppet of the tyrants... We will see who will not return to Kabul because he will flee it hastily in fear.""Obama, whether you admit it or not, Muslims have defeated you in Iraq and Afghanistan and will defeat you in Palestine, Somalia and the Islamic Maghreb," he added.He hailed Taliban's military action against coalition forces in the south of Afghanistan, congratulating its leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar, on his "steadfastness" and vowing allegiance to him as "the leader of the believers.""Congratulations to the Muslim Ummah (nation)... and to the leader of the believers, the patient mujahed, Mulla Umar... the imminent victory, " he said."Before that, congratulations on your steadfastness against infidels and tyranny," he added."We renew our vow of allegiance to you... on the path of jihad (holy war) in the name of Allah," he said.
July 27, 2010
In the 47-minute recording, Ayman al-Zawahiri said the drive by France and other European nations to ban the veil amounted to discrimination against Muslim women. He slammed France's push to ban the Islamic full-face veil and urged Muslim women to be "holy warriors" in the defense of their headdress against the "secular Western crusade" in a new audio message released Wednesday on militant websites. Al-Qaida's deputy leader also eulogized the network's No. 3 official, Mustafa al-Yazid, who was killed along with his family in a U.S. strike in Pakistan in May. Al-Zawahiri praised what he called al-Yazid's achievements in Afghanistan and claimed that although killed al-Qaida militants in Iraq outnumber U.S. soldiers 100-to-1, it is the U.S. that is withdrawing its troops from Iraq. He said the latest terror attacks against the United States, including a May 1 attempted car bombing in New York city's busy Times Square, were in response to the presence of foreign troops in Muslim nations like Iraq and Afghanistan. In his audiotape, al-Zawahiri also talked about a wide range of topics in the Middle East such as democratic reforms in his native Egypt. He said that holy war was the only way to achieve reforms, not peaceful calls for reforms or elections. Al-Zawahiri also addressed Yemenis, urging them to wage attacks against U.S. targets and the Yemeni government.August 15, 2010
In a 20-minute Arabic audio message posted on an Islamist website on Sunday, al-Zawahiri also offered condolences to the families of Turkish activists killed by Israel during a raid on a Gaza bound aid flotilla. He called on Turks to pressure their government to end relations with the Jewish state. He accused Turkey of killing Muslims in Afghanistan.September 15, 2010
In his new audio tape he made a thinly veiled call on Pakistanis to rise up against their government over what he said was the "failure" of authorities there to provide relief to flood victims. Ayman al-Zawahiri also accused the Islamabad government of corruption. Al-Zawahiri directed his harshest criticism at Pakistan's president, Asif Ali Zardari, describing him as a "thief" too preoccupied with mending his ties with the West to care about flood victims at home.November 4, 2010
In an audio tape called on Muslims on Thursday to avenge the sentencing of Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani scientist jailed for 86 years by a US court, the SITE monitoring service said. made the appeal in an audio message entitled "Who Will Avenge the Scientist Aafia Siddiqui," which was released on jihadist forums, the US-based SITE Intelligence Group said. He promised "to attack ... (Americans) as long as they attack" Muslims and said "the ummah (Islamic nation) will not stop pursuing you." And Zawahiri told Pakistanis their "government humiliated them by letting the Americans and Crusaders occupy the country." He called for them to "take the only available path, that of jihad ... which will liberate Aafia Siddiqui."February 4, 2011
An audio message from Osama bin Laden's terrorist deputy was released on the internet, the first message from al Qaeda since the unrest in Egypt began. The 34-minute message from Ayman al-Zawahiri addressed the corruption of the Egyptian regime and denounced the government of President Hosni Mubarak for resisting Islamic law.February 27, 2011
Al-Qaeda's Egyptian-born number two Ayman al-Zawahiri has said the United States is installing sympathetic new regimes in Tunisia and Egypt, demanding Muslims rise up against "whippers" and "invaders". Railing against Washington, Zawahiri also said Tunisians should resist "the French occupier" and establish "a rule that will be a role model of counselling and justice for your brothers". The United States had abandoned Tunisia's long-time president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in mid-January when it became clear that he had become a liability, the fugitive deputy to Al-Qaeda supremo Osama bin Laden said. Zawahiri said a "secular alternative" was emerging in the shape of Mohamed ElBaradei, the former Vienna-based UN atomic chief.April 14, 2011
Al-Zawahiri incites Muslims to rise up against both NATO and Moamer Kadhafi's forces in a newly released video apparently taped before the Western intervention in Libya. Zawahiri, wearing a white robe, was speaking in a one hour and nine minute video produced by Al-Qaeda?s media arm, as-Sahab, according to the US-based SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors Islamic extremist websites. SITE said Zawahiri split his lecture into three distinct parts, addressing in turn the uprisings in Libya, Egypt and Tunisia. Zawahiri stated Al-Qaeda's backing for the ousted Tunisian and Egyptian presidents and also accused the Egyptian government of "separation from Islam" and "subservience to the West," the monitoring group said. The video was the fifth installment in Egyptian-born Zawahiri's series titled "A Message of Hope and Glad Tidings to Our People in Egypt. Zawahiri's latest video concluded with an excerpt of a previously-released video message from US-Yemeni cleric and terror suspect Anwar al-Awlaqi, SITE said.May 22, 2011
Ayman al-Zawahiri, Al-Qaeda's long-time number two to Osama bin Laden, has in his latest audio message backed the wave of Arab revolts and called for sharia law in Egypt. In a three-part audio message which the jihadist network's media arm Al-Sahab said was recorded before US forces killed bin Laden on May 2, Zawahiri addressed the populations of Libya, Syria and Egypt in turn. SITE Intelligence, which monitors jihadist Internet forums, said the Egyptian militant warned Libyans the NATO-led aerial bombing campaign against Moamer Kadhafi seeks to replace the strongman with its own tyrannical regime. He also called upon the Muslims of North Africa to join the fight against Kadhafi and to obtain weapons, while criticising Egypt's military for not coming to the aid of Egyptian expatriates residing in Libya. He also briefly addressed Syrians, calling on them to continue their uprising against President Bashar al-Assad's regime and to ignore the words of support offered by Americans, whom Zawahiri argues have been allied with the regime in the war on terror.June 8, 2011
In his first video message since the death of Osama bin LadenDeath of Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden, then head of the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda, was killed in Pakistan on May 2, 2011, shortly after 1 a.m. local time by a United States special forces military unit....
, al-Zawahiri warned that bin Laden would continue to "terrify" the US from beyond the grave. Notably however, he did not stake a claim to take over as head of al-Qaeda. He also backed the wave of Arab unrest
Arab Spring
The Arab Spring , otherwise known as the Arab Awakening, is a revolutionary wave of demonstrations and protests occurring in the Arab world that began on Saturday, 18 December 2010...
, calling for Sharia Islamic law to be applied in Egypt, but warned Libyans that Nato's bombing campaign aimed to replace Muammar Gaddafi with a Western-backed tyrannical regime. The statement was posted on Jihadist websites.
July 28, 2011
Al- Zawahiri is claiming solidarity with Syria's pro-democracy movement, while urging protesters there to direct their anti-government uprising also against the United States and Israel. In a video message posted on Islamist websites Wednesday, Ayman al-Zawahiri directly addressed the Syrian demonstrators who have risen up against President Bashar al-Assad's rule despite a bloody government crackdown. The Egyptian-born Zawahiri accused Mr. Assad of being a corrupt tyrant and “America's partner in the war on Islam.” He claimed that Washington wants to replace Mr. Assad with “a new ruler who follows America protects Israel's interests.”August 14, 2011
On August 14, al-Zawahiri urged Muslims to target the United States and avenge the killing of his predecessor Osama bin Laden, the SITE Intelligence Group reported Monday. SITE, quoting a video posted on jihadist online forums, said the new head of Al-Qaeda asking Muslims to "pursue" the United States over the killing of Bin Laden. It was a 12-minute video addressed. "The Muslim movement in general and the jihadi movement in particular should wage the battle of intellectual argument just as much as the battle of weapons," he said.September 13, 2011
Al-Zawhiri tape entitled The Dawn of Imminent Victory, posted on jihadist websites. It also includes footage of Osama Bin Laden, warning Americans against "falling as slaves" to corporations. Site said the footage of Bin Laden appeared to be the same material found in the US raid on his Pakistan hideout in May, which Washington released but without its soundtrack. It said the 62-minute video featured al-Zawahiri, now the US's most wanted man, applauding the Arab Spring revolutions. "Zawahiri... declared that, contrary to what is reported in the media, al-Qaeda supports the revolutions and hopes it will establish true Islam and Sharia-based governance," AFP news agency quoted Site as saying. "The popular revolutions, he stated, are a form of defeat for the United States, just as the 9/11 attacks and its alleged lack of success in Afghanistan and Iraq were also defeats."November 15, 2011
Osama Bin Laden has been described as both "tender" and "kind" in a video released by the new head of al-Qaeda. The video, entitled Days with the Imam: Part One, lasts about 30 minutes. It has been posted on jihadist websites. Zawahiri said he had created the video to show Bin Laden's "human side" and tell people about his great loyalty. "People don't know that this man was tender, gentle, kind, with refined feelings, even when life was hard," Zawahiri says in the video, dressed in a white robe and turban and sitting in front of a green curtain. He recalls how Bin Laden reacted when he received the news that some members of Zawahiri's family had been killed. With tears in his eyes, Bin Laden came to see him and hugged him. He adds that Bin Laden was devoted to his children, paying great attention to ensuring that they were well-educated, despite constantly moving from place to place. Bin Laden, he said, did not want those who carried out the September 11 attacks - which killed nearly 3,000 people - to be forgotten. "Everyone close to him saw the fine and noble education in his children," he said, adding that Bin Laden employed a teacher who would threaten to beat the children with a stick to teach them the Koran.See also
- Messages of Osama bin Laden
- Osama bin LadenOsama bin LadenOsama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
- al-QaedaAl-QaedaAl-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
- As-SahabAs-SahabThe As-Sahab Foundation for Islamic Media Publication , is the media production house of al-Qaeda, used to relay the organization's views to the world...
- IntelCenterIntelCenterIntelCenter is a United States company, founded in 1993. It is based near Washington, D.C., in Alexandria, Virginia.The company "is a private contractor working for intelligence agencies". Its stated purpose is to "study terrorist groups and other threat actors and disseminating that information...
External links
- http://www.intelcenter.com/audio-video/qaeda.htmlAll al-QaedaAl-QaedaAl-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
/ As-SahabAs-SahabThe As-Sahab Foundation for Islamic Media Publication , is the media production house of al-Qaeda, used to relay the organization's views to the world...
video productinos] - Guardian Unlimited List of all al-Qaida tapes.
- Concentrates on tape regarding Al-Qaeda attack on SS Norway in Miami, Memorial Day 2003.