CAIRO, Egypt — Al-Qaida has invited journalists to send questions to its No. 2 figure, Ayman al-Zawahri, in the first such offer by the increasingly media-savvy terror network to “interview” one of its leaders since the 9-11 attacks.
The invitation is a new twist in al-Qaida’s campaign to reach a broader audience, and represents an attempt by al-Zawahri to present himself as a sophisticated leader rather than a mass murderer.
The advertisement, issued by the group’s media arm Al-Sahab on an Islamic militant Web site, invites “individuals, agencies and all media” to submit written questions for al-Zawahri by sending them to the Web forums where Al-Sahab traditionally posts its messages. MORE