Doctor, Teacher, Terrorist : The Life and Legacy of Al-Qaeda Leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri

For over half a century, al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri repeatedly emerged from the shadows as a vengeful ideologue hell-bent on changing history. Dr. Sajjan M. Gohel provides the first definitive account of one of the world's most wanted terrorists. Having grown up in an illustrious Egyptian family of physicians, lawyers, clergy, and politicians, al-Zawahiri was originally destined to become a successful doctor. However, he chose to rebel against his own society which he deemed to have deviated from its religious identity. By forming his own terrorist group, al-Zawahiri dedicated his life to sedition and violent rebellion against the international order. Ayman al-Zawahiri led a life incomparable to anyone else. The Egyptian found himself in many of the places where history was being determined. His journey takes us across Egypt, Sudan, Afghanistan and Pakistan, as well as the United States and Russia. Through his close bond with Osama bin Laden, al-Zawahiri played a critical role in the evolution of al-Qaeda's ideology, recruitment, tactics, and strategy. With the deft touch of a teacher, al-Zawahiri delegated numerous murderous assignments globally. He engaged in the assassination of political leaders, sought to develop chemical and biological weapons, recruited double and triple agents, turned the tables on his enemies, and pioneered the use of new media technology to convey al-Qaeda's zealotry. In 2011, al-Zawahiri succeeded bin Laden, to become the head of al-Qaeda and sought to rebuild and reform his organisation whilst being aided by murky ties in Pakistan and Iran and his Taliban allies. Against the background of the Arab Spring and the West's departure from Afghanistan, al-Zawahiri left a deadly legacy for al-Qaeda's future for years to come. Cover Doctor, Teacher, Terrorist Copyright Dedication Contents Acknowledgements Note on Transliteration Timelines Historical Context Al-​Zawahiri’s Origins and Education Pivotal Moments Cast of Characters Politicians, Military, Ideologues, and Terrorists Abbreviations Illustrations List of Maps Introduction Chapter Outlines 1. Reap What You Sow The Battle for Tora Bora The Boy from Maadi Colonial History Muhammad al-​Ahmadi al-​Zawahiri Abdul Rahman Azzam The Brotherhood Sayyid Qutb and the Free Officers 2. Insurrection and Transgression The Pious Leader Killing Pharaoh Defendant Number 113 3. The Holy Warrior The Afghan-​Arab Jihad On the Front Lines The Mole Soviet Withdrawal 4. Building the Base Bitter Harvest Egyptians in America Exodus to Sudan The AfPak Base The Caucasus Interlude The World Islamic Front ‘There Will Be No B-​roll’ Raising the Stakes Destructive Weapons Military Studies Al-​Zarqawi’s Shadow Preparing for Battle Priorities 9/​9 and 9/​11 5. Live to Fight Another Day The Great Escape Vex and Exhaust Iraq Visualising Terror Revisiting Knights The Next Stage Q&A Al-​Sharif’s Revenge Cartoons and Sieges Malcolm X The Bhutto Assassination The Mujahidat Triple Agents and Middlemen 6. Changing of the Knights The Arab Spring Geronimo EKIA From Deputy to Leader The Abbottabad Documents The Usurper 7. The Elusive Terrorist Isolation and Hibernation An Assortment of Enemies The False Dawn Kingdom of Heaven Iran and AQ: Best of Frenemies Dystopia Redux Proof of Life The Last Sunrise over the Horizon Conclusion: 55 Years of Terror Notes Bibliography Index