The second in command in Al-Qaeda's terrorist network, Ayman al-Zawahiri, delivered a scathing criticism of Mohamed ElBaradei, the former director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in the fugitive's most recent video released to the public. Al-Zawahiri described the potential presidential contender as being sent by the US to manage the Egyptian opposition. The video, titled “A Victorious Ummah and a Broken Crusade,” was circulated among several websites on the anniversary of the 11 September attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon that claimed 3000 lives. “As the US is done with using Mubarak for committing all its crimes in the region, and feeling that Mubarak's plans to transfer power to his son would stir trouble and unrest, it started adopting a parallel course to achieve its targets through using its heavenly messenger, Mohamed ElBaradei,” al-Zawahiri said. Political expert Amr al-Shobaky commented on al-Zawahiri's speech, saying that al-Zawahiri's description of the US as the manipulator of Egyptian politicians is incorrect. He added that the US is only concerned that the next Egyptian president will not openly oppose the Washington agenda and will maintain the country's commitment to the Camp David Treaty. Ammar Ali Hassan, head of the research unit at the Middle East News Agency (MENA), called the video “sensational, aggressive, valueless." He argued that al-Zawahiri's speeches are always motivated by deep hatred of the US but, this time, he believes, he made a serious mistake by linking ElBaradei's bid for change to the US. “Al-Zawahiri stands against any democratic process, and he will oppose any future regime governing Egypt, no matter who heads it,” said Hassan. Hassan argued that by labelling the Muslim Brotherhood-supported ElBaradei a puppet of the US, al-Zawahiri is serving the interests of the Mubarak regime. Translated from the Arabic Edition.
