Zawahiri is nog gekker dan Bin Laden

Now that Ayman Zawahiri has assumed leadership of al-Qaeda, it is important to end the widespread perception that he is a dour intellectual who is disconnected from young, would-be jihadists. The fact is, Zawahiri is a wily, dangerous and imposing leader who should be considered no less of a threat—and perhaps even more so—than his predecessor...

Indeed, what makes Zawahiri so dangerous is his harsh and relentless dedication to jihad. Although many Islamist organizations have learned that violence isn't the best vehicle to power, Zawahiri has a long history of being a staunch upholder of the popular jihadist slogan "Jihad and the rifle alone: no negotiations, no conferences and no dialogues." ...

Will his severity turn off aspiring jihadists, as some analysts suggest? Perhaps. But it will make those who remain that much more committed and lethal. Moreover, numbers don't matter much when it comes to engaging in terrorism: the Sept. 11 attacks were committed by 19 jihadists.