Al-Qaeda Chief Calls on Muslims to Attack America

Ayman al Zawahiri, the leader of al-Qaeda’s “core”—the group that was responsible for carrying out the terror attacks against America on September 11, 2001—has released an audio message as part of his “Islamic Spring” recordings that calls for Muslims worldwide to strike America.

“I call on all Muslims who can harm the countries of the crusader coalition not to hesitate. We must now focus on moving the war to the heart of the homes and cities of the crusader West, and specifically America,” Zawahiri said, according to a Reuters translation.

The al-Qaeda chief suggested that young Muslims follow in the footsteps of Boston Marathon bombers Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, and the Kouachi brothers, who carried out the jihadi attack at the offices of Charlie Hebdo.

“Therefore, if we strike the head, then the wings and the body will fall, and if the war reaches the home of the great criminals, then they would stop the war and revise their policies, Allah permitting,” Zawahiri added.

He also recommended that Muslims consult al-Qaeda’s propaganda magazines if they would like to carry out solo attacks on western targets.

Zawahiri struck a conciliatory tone when it came to the Islamic State terror group, suggesting that the Islamic entities unite in an effort to combat the West. He made it clear, though, al-Qaeda does not recognize ISIS’s declaration of a caliphate. “We do not acknowledge this caliphate, he said, adding, “Instead it is an emirate of taking over without consultation, and Muslims are not obligated to pledge allegiance to it.”

“Stop the fighting between the mujahideen” in the Middle East and “give room for the people of goodness to reconcile,” the terror chief recommended as next steps moving forward, according to a translation by SITE.

Zawahiri said his forces would be willing to work side-by-side with ISIS in their fight against the “crusaders (Christians), the secularists, the Nusayris (Alawites) and the Safavids (Shiites)… because the matter is bigger than me and their claim of establishing a caliphate.”

“We call for cooperation with [ISIS leader] Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and his brothers to push back the attack of the enemies of Islam,” Zawahiri said.