Washington - The US State Department on Thursday said it “barely matters” who the new leader of al-Qaeda is after reports that Ayman al-Zawahri replaced Osama bin Laden.
“Frankly, it barely matters who runs al-Qaeda because al-Qaeda is a bankrupt ideology,” State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said at her daily briefing without commenting on the credibility of the reports.
“If you look around the world, the peaceful movements for change around the world have done far more for Muslim people than al-Qaeda has ever produced,” she added.
In a statement on Islamist websites often used by al-Qaeda, the group said Zawahri, an Egyptian believed to be the brains behind much of its strategy, had taken over from Bin Laden, who was killed by US commandos in Pakistan 45 days ago.
Al-Qaeda is the group held responsible for the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.
Zawahri vowed this month to press ahead with its campaign against the United States and its allies. - Reuters