Al Qaeda on Thursday named Egyptian surgeon Ayman al-Zawahiri to succeed slain leader Osama bin Laden and vowed no let-up in its deadly “jihad” against arch-foes the US and Israel.
“The general command of al Qaeda announces, after consultations, the appointment of Sheikh Ayman al-Zawahiri as head of the group,” the jihadist network said in a statement posted on an Islamist website.
Meanwhile, the US said Zawahiri would have a hard time leading the group “while focusing on his own survival”. A senior US official said Zawahiri’s “ascension to the top leadership spot will likely generate criticism if not alienation and dissention.”
