AYMAN AL-ZAWAHIRI

LEADER  OF AL QAEDA  

LEADER  OF AL QAEDA  AYMAN AL-ZAWAHIRI IS CALLING ON MUSLIMS TO KIDNAP WESTERNERS, CITING THE SUCCESS IN THE ABDUCTION OF AMERICAN AID WORKER WARREN WEINSTEIN IN PAKISTAN.

IN A TWO-PART, MORE THAN TWO-HOUR VIDEO POSTED ON JIHADIST WEBSITES, AL-ZAWAHIRI CALLED FOR THE ABDUCTIONS AS PART OF A VOW NOT TO "SPARE ANY EFFORTS" TO FREE SHEIKH OMAR ABDEL-RAHMAN, THE MASTERMIND BEHIND THE 1993 WORLD TRADE CENTER BOMBING.

"GOD THE GREAT AND ALMIGHTY GRANTED US SUCCESS TO CAPTURE THE JEWISH AMERICAN WARREN WEINSTEIN," AL-ZAWAHIRI SAID IN THE VIDEO POSTED WEDNESDAY, ACCORDING TO THE TERROR MONITORING GROUP SITE INTELLIGENCE.

"WE ARE SEEKING, BY THE HELP OF GOD, TO CAPTURE OTHERS AND TO INCITE MUSLIMS TO CAPTURE THE CITIZENS OF THE COUNTRIES THAT ARE FIGHTING MUSLIMS IN ORDER TO RELEASE OUR CAPTIVES."

ALSO IN THE VIDEO, AL-ZAWAHIRI CALLED FOR SHARIA LAW TO BE INSTITUTED IN EGYPT, AND HE QUESTIONED EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT MOHAMED MORSY FOR HIS STANCES ON A NUMBER OF ISSUES, INCLUDING ISRAEL.

"I CALL ON EVERY FREE AND HONORABLE (PERSON) IN EGYPT TO PARTICIPATE IN EVERY PROTEST AGAINST THE ISRAELI EMBASSY, AGAINST THE PEACE TREATY WITH ISRAEL, AGAINST THE ISRAELI OCCUPATION OF PALESTINIAN LAND, AND AGAINST EVERY SIEGE OF GAZA," AL-ZAWAHIRI SAID. "ISLAMIC MOVEMENTS AND MASSES MUST BE AT THE FOREFRONT OF THOSE PROTESTS AND THE FIRST TO SACRIFICE FOR THEIR SAKE."

 AL QAEDA'S NEW BREEDING GROUND: MALI KING: AL QAEDA IS 'A GREATER THREAT' NOW OBAMA'S EVOLVING LANGUAGE ON AL QAEDA

THE VIDEO IS THE LATEST IN A SERIES RELEASED BY AL-ZAWAHIRI, WHO WAS AL QAEDA'S NO. 2 LEADER UNDER OSAMA BIN LADEN. HE TOOK OVER LEADERSHIP IN JUNE 2011 FOLLOWING BIN LADEN'S DEATH, ACCORDING TO STATEMENTS POSTED ON JIHADIST WEBSITES.

IN THE LATEST VIDEO, AL-ZAWAHIRI APOLOGIZED TO ABDEL-RAHMAN, DUBBED "THE BLIND SHEIKH," FOR HIS IMPRISONMENT.

THE EGYPTIAN-BORN ABDEL-RAHMAN WAS CONVICTED IN 1995 OF CONSPIRACY. HE IS SERVING A LIFE SENTENCE AT A FEDERAL PRISON IN NORTH CAROLINA.

AL QAEDA CLAIMED RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE AUGUST 2011 ABDUCTION OF WEINSTEIN FROM HIS HOME IN THE PAKISTANI CITY OF LAHORE.

MONTHS LATER, AL-ZAWAHIRI MADE A NUMBER OF DEMANDS OF THE UNITED STATES IN EXCHANGE FOR WEINSTEIN'S RELEASE. AMONG THE DEMANDS WAS THE RELEASE OF ABDEL-RAHMAN.