AlQaida chief calls for attacks on West

CAIRO — AlQaida leader Ayman alZawahri called Wednesday on Muslims to attack U.S., European, Israeli and Russian targets in a speech on the 18th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks.

SITE Intelligence Group, which tracks online activity of jihadist groups, reported that in a video released by the militant group, the 68yearold alZawahri also criticizes “backtrackers” from jihad, referring to former jihadis who changed their views in prison and called the 9/11 attacks unacceptable because innocent civilians were harmed.

“If you want Jihad to be focused solely on military targets, the American military has presence all over the world, from the East to the West,” he said. “Your countries are littered with American bases, with all the infidels therein and the corruption they spread.”

AlZawahri’s speech was recorded in a 33minute, 28second video produced by the group’s asSahab Media Foundation.

As an indicator of when the speech may have been recorded, alZawahri references President Donald Trump’s recognition of the Golan Heights as Israeli territory, which was announced on March 25. He calls on Palestinians to seek “martyrdom” by attacking Israelis with a suicide vest in response.

AlZawahri, an Egyptian, became leader of alQaida following the 2011 killing of Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan by U.S. Navy SEALs. He is believed to be hiding somewhere in the AfghanistanPakistan border regions. A July report by the U.N. cited reports that he is “in poor health” but provided no details.

Over recent years, alQaida has been engaged in fending off competition in jihadi circles from its rival, the Islamic State group. IS exploded into prominence by seizing large swaths of Iraq and Syria in 2014, declaring a “caliphate” and extending affiliates in multiple countries across the region.

IS’ physical “caliphate” was crushed in Iraq and Syria, though its militants are still active and carrying out attacks.

The U.N. report said the “immediate global threat posed by alQaida remains unclear” but warned that some wouldbe IS recruits could turn to older organization.