Al Qaeda has released a message from Ayman al Zawahiri, who rebukes Abu Bakr al Baghdadi and the Islamic State, arguing the so-called “caliphate” is illegitimate. Ever since the rivalry between the two jihadist poles boiled over in early 2014, Zawahiri has allowed others to take the lead in al Qaeda’s attempt to undermine the Islamic State’s credentials. Zawahiri has criticized the Islamic State, but he has not unleashed a full broadside.
In the message released today, however, Zawahiri doesn’t hold back. He emphasizes that al Qaeda doesn’t recognize Baghdadi’s so-called “caliphate,” saying it is not qualified to lead Muslims.
The al Qaeda emir’s audio address is embedded in a video, which is nearly 45 minutes long. A still image of him is used throughout. The video is the first in al Qaeda’s “Islamic Spring” series. It was recorded several months ago, but not released until earlier today.
Zawahiri says he has pulled his rhetorical punches in the rivalry with Baghdadi’s group because he didn’t want to further inflame the “fitna” (or discord) that plagues the jihadists’ ranks. Zawahiri says he also hoped for reconciliation.