Al-Zawahiri, Ayman (1951–)

aka Abu Muhammad, Abu Fatima, Muhammad Ibrahim, Abu Abdallah, Abu al-Mu'iz, the Doctor, the Teacher, Nur, Ustaz, Abu Mohammed, Abu Mohammed Nur al-Deen, Abdel Muaz, Dr. Ayman al Zawahiri

Ayman al-Zawahiri, an Egyptian physician, is alleged to be both Osama bin Laden's closest adviser and his doctor. Viewed as the mastermind who led bin Laden and Al Qaeda into creating instruments of mass murder, al-Zawahiri numbers among the 22 men declared “most wanted terrorists” by the FBI. He is said to be the most likely successor to bin Laden and is suspected of playing a key role in the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

Al-Zawahiri's family is prominent in both Egypt's politics and religion. His father taught at the University of Cairo, his grandfather was a well-known imam, and his uncle was the first secretary general of ...