New Al Qaeda Leader Al-Zawahiri To continue Jihad Against Israel, US
Al-Qaeda on Thursday named Egypt-born Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri to succeed its slain leader Osama bin Laden and vowed to pursue 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 an Islamist website.
According to AFP, the statement said that under Zawahiri’s leadership Al-Qaeda would relentlessly pursue its ‘jihad’ 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 Qaeda stressed that it would not “recognize any legitimacy of the so-called State of Israel.”
“We will not accept or adhere to any agreement or accord that recognizes it (Israel) or that robs a mile from Palestine, whether it is the United Nations controlled by top criminals or any other organization.”
Al-Qaeda also voiced its “support (of) the uprisings of our oppressed Muslim people against the corrupt and tyrant leaders who have made our nation suffer in Egypt, Tunisia, Libya Yemen, Syria and Morocco.”
