Arab Twitter Users Say al-Zawahiri US ‘Agent,’ Decry Taliban ‘Collusion’ in Killing

August 11, 2022

Analysis Asia Headlines Highlights North America

Between 1 and 4 August, Twitter users reacted to the killing of al-Qa’ida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. Some mourned his death, while others decried the alleged Taliban involvement in the killed and described al-Zawahiri as a US “agent.” Following is a roundup of the tweets.

On 4 August, Twitter user “Al-Dhabi” (@zahabi4444) tweeted in Arabic: “As for us, I love him and love everyone who follows him… And I thank the person who snapped this photo of me with the brother Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri. I am proud that I stood beside Engineer Muhammad al-Zawahiri one day… One does not hate or fear naming a person who worked for religion except if he is dominated by Satan and his whims. We seek refuge in God from that.” The tweet included a picture of a man with a blurred face standing by al-Zawahiri, and it generated 1 comment, 59 likes, and 5 retweets.[i]

On 4 August, Twitter user “Amro -” (@IRG_3I3) tweeted in Arabic: “Sources to al-Mayadin: Ayman al-Zawahiri was not killed the way Washington said he was.”[ii]

On 4 August, Twitter user “Mahmud Shahin” (@Mahmoud_Shahen) tweeted in Arabic: “Al-Zawahiri’s assassination: It showed that the victory claimed by the Taliban was fake and that the Doha meetings were nothing but orders. How can this happen in a country that won and was independent of the American invasion? Unless the Taliban has agreed to it. If there are really agreements, then America is violating them. Where are the sanctions?”[iii] On 2 August, Twitter user “Mahmud Shahin” added in another tweet: “May God have mercy on Shaykh Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri. A man of the Ummah who was let down by the Ummah. I do not rule out a collusion by the Taliban with the Americans in order to have them recognized internationally.”[iv]

On 3 August, Saudi journalist Khalid al-Matrafi (“Khalid al-Matrafi” @Almatrafi) tweeted in Arabic: “About #Al-Zawahri: There are those who doubt the American narrative about his death, as it is not reasonable for him to sit in the balcony for more than two hours on account of his being on the most wanted persons list, as if he were on a date with the ‘RX9’ missile. I expect, and only God knows, that #Al-Qa’ida leaders Bin Ladin and Al-Zawahiri are cards that have been somehow liquidated and at a time after they have been used [sunglasses emoji].” The tweet included a picture of the front page of a Turkish newspaper reporting the news, and it generated 3 comments, 8 likes, and 19 retweets. Twitter user “Al-Abbas al-Shanqiti” (@AlAlabbase) commented: “Destroying the black box.”[v] [vi]

On 3 August, Twitter user “Haris Abdullah” (@HarisAbdullah08) tweeted in English: “It is being reported that 40 Million US Dollars have been transacted to #Afghanistan as an Aid… Mind the timing of the transaction!!! In virtue it costed nothing but #Zawahiri and yes; bit of self-proclaimed sovereignty! [Smiley face]”[vii]

On 2 August, Twitter user “Umar Madaniyah” (@Omar_Madaniah) tweeted in Arabic: “They can kill the hidden al-Zawahiri, but they can’t kill the Hasan Nasrallah who appears before them!” The tweet generated 116 comments, 1,103 likes, and 201 retweets. [viii]

On 2 August, Twitter user “Us al-Sira’ fi al-Sham” (@Osalsera3sham) tweeted in Arabic: “His presence in Kabul shows the failure of the study centers that claimed that he is in Iran. He entered Afghanistan only months ago. All these years he was in Waziristan, and it is a great failure for the CIA for not knowing his whereabouts. His discovery after entering [Afghanistan] in coordination with the Haqqani Network is an indication that it is infiltrated. As soon as America found him it targeted him without any political calculations.”[ix]

On 2 August, Twitter user “Abdallah al-Tuwayli’i” (@abdullah113438) tweeted in Arabic: “The Haqqani Network, which hosts and protects al-Zawahiri, has a close relationship with Iran. The leader of the Haqqani Network appeared in public six months ago for the first time, and he is the Minister of Interior in the Taliban government and had been wanted by America. (Iran and the Taliban) handed over the agent al-Zawahiri to America. If the agent’s job is finished, he will be liquidated.” The tweet generated 3 comments, 41 likes, and 3 retweets [x] “Abdallah al-Tuwayli’i” also tweeted: “Al-Zawahiri was under the protection of Iran and under the auspices of the United States. He became an election card, and that is how agents are treated. If the agent’s job is finished, he will be liquidated. Note: Did you know that al-Qa’ida members enter Iran, train and receive treatment in its hospitals, and return to Afghanistan? Families of senior al-Qa’ida members live in Iran.”[xi]

On 2 August, Twitter user “Aziz al-Mutayri” (@zgTzJgZVTuowiaC) tweeted in Arabic: “This is the fate of everyone who speaks ill of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. #Al-Salmani Army.”[xii]

On 2 August, Twitter user “Qalam Hur (Michael Cohen)” (@@Michael23364823) tweeted in Arabic: “Al-Zawahiri died in Iran and his body was brought to Afghanistan through the Taliban’s interior minister. “Afghan reconciliation was in Iran” and the deal to hand over Afghanistan to Qatar! Iran presented al-Zawahiri to Biden with a deal to make it look like an American achievement! In return for what? What is behind the lack of interest of Biden personally in Yemen and the truce is ‘giving a breath” to al-Huthi!”[xiii]

On 2 August, Twitter user “Qalam Hur (Michael Cohen)” (@@Michael23364823) tweeted in Arabic: “When the need for the terrorist Ayman al-Zawahiri ceased and they achieved their agenda through him, he became a burden on them, so they got rid of him to create a new al-Zawahiri that would meet the requirements of the next stage.”[xiv]

On 1 August, Twitter user “Sa’id Bin-Muhammad al-Qadi” (@saeedalqadhi999) tweeted in Arabic: “America killed al-Qa’ida leaders in Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, and Syria with a drone; and their whereabouts were accurately determined. But until now, the locations of Hassan Nasrallah, Abd-al-Malik al-Huthi, or Muqtada al-Sadr have not been determined. America knows the truth of its enemy from its friend! And there is none but God.” The tweet generated 4 comments, 87 likes, and 16 retweets.[xv]

On 1 August, Twitter user “Yasser Farag” (@YasserFarag333) tweeted in Arabic: “Let us admit that the influence and danger of Ayman al-Zawahiri are almost non-existent with the age of the man and the scattering of what remains of the al-Qa’ida Organization in different countries. But the Biden administration was looking for a media bang and aiming to improve the deteriorating image of their president, so they decided that al-Zawahiri would be a scapegoat to improve Biden’s image internally.” The tweet generated 32 comments, 206 likes, and 46 retweets.[xvi]

[i] https://twitter.com/zahabi4444/status/1555220389533450240

[ii] https://twitter.com/IRG_3I3/status/1555226350923165697

[iii] https://twitter.com/mahmoud__shahen/status/1555165482268999683?cxt=HHwWhoC-mYexh5UrAAAA

[iv] https://twitter.com/mahmoud__shahen/status/1554606354077302790?cxt=HHwWjIC-xcGPiZMrAAAA

[v] https://twitter.com/Almatrafi/status/1554875243537305601

[vi] https://twitter.com/AlAlabbase/status/1554878010305777664

[vii] https://twitter.com/HarisAbdullah08/status/1554862891819483136

[viii] https://twitter.com/Omar_Madaniah/status/1554434514675552257

[ix] https://twitter.com/Osalsera3sham/status/1554378985047465984

[x] https://twitter.com/Osalsera3sham/status/1554378985047465984

[xi] https://twitter.com/abdullah113438/status/1554383568910131200

[xii] https://twitter.com/zgTzJgZVTuowiaC/status/1554378051382902784