Al-Qaeda Calls for Gaza War

Deputy touts his health on internet

(NEWSER) - Seven years after 9/11, Osama bin Laden is alive and well, according to his deputy. "Sheik Osama bin Laden is in good health. The ill-intentioned always try to circulate false reports about him being sick," said Ayman al-Zawahiri in a 104-minute recording posted on the internet. The comments were in response to questions from the public solicited by web sites linked to al-Qaeda. More»

Gaza demonstrations not enough, he warns

(NEWSER) - An audio statement purportedly by al-Qaeda’s second-in-command demands that Muslims attack the West to support Palestinians, reports CNN. "Let them know that every dollar they spend on the killing of Muslims, there will be shed blood in return," said Ayman al-Zawahiri, adding that protests were not enough. More»

(AP) - Osama bin Laden today urged Muslims to launch a jihad against Israel and condemned Arab governments as allies of the Jewish state, the AP reports. In a new message aimed at harnessing anger in the Mideast over the Gaza offensive, bin Laden spoke in an audiotape posted on Islamic militant websites. It's the first tape he's issued since May. More»

Backlash building against bin Laden

(NEWSER) - The Muslim world is getting fed up with al-Qaeda, the Los Angeles Times reports, questioning its bloody tactics and ideology. Even former allies are criticizing the group for killing fellow Muslims, relying on suicide bombings, and its occasional hostility toward Palestinian groups. Second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahiri was concerned enough to attempt to defuse criticism recently in an online Q&A. More»

Docs unveil bin Laden hideouts, tension within group

(NEWSER) - On 9/11, the bulk of al-Qaeda’s leadership was gathered in a single place: Karachi, Pakistan. One key figure was in a hospital following a tonsillectomy; another was preparing for a biological weapons program; and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was with other leaders in a safe house, watching the attacks on TV, the Washington Post reports. Within 24 hours, they returned to Afghanistan to brace for war, WikiLeaks documents show. Once there, Osama bin Laden told Arab fighters “to defend Afghanistan against the infidel invaders." More»