Ayman al-Zawahiri, al-Qaeda leader, called on all Muslims to support the rebels to oust Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, explaining that the fall of the Syrian leader would realize the ultimate goal: Israel's defeat. In an audio recording released on the occasion of the 11th anniversary of the 11 September 2001 attacks, the Egypt-born militant blamed the Muslim rulers of the Middle East and Asia of not doing enough to support the cause of political Islam.
"Supporting the jihad in Syria to establish a Muslim state is an essential step on the road to Jerusalem." He added that America fears that a new regime in Syria could threaten Israel.
Al-Zawahiri also criticized the new Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi of respecting the peace treaty between Israel and Egypt signed in 1979. "I call the honorable members of the Egyptian army, and they are very numerous, not to become border guards of Israel, "he said.
He was also critical about the efforts by the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, to make peace with Israel.
