BETHESDA, Md., Oct. 12 (UPI) -- Egyptian-born Ayman al-Zawahiri called on Algerians to follow regional examples and rise up against their government.
Zawahiri took over from slain al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. In a 13-minute audiotape released by online extremist forum SITE, Zawahiri called on the people of Algeria to follow in the footsteps of the Libyans and Tunisians.
"Here are your brothers in Tunisia and then in Libya having thrown out the two tyrants to the trashcan of history, so why don't you revolt against your tyrant?" he said, a transcript provided by The Daily Telegraph newspaper in London stated.
Zawahiri, in the latest publication of the terrorism leaflet Inspire, praised the work of al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, the North African branch of al-Qaida, for its operations in Algeria.
AQIM took responsibility for August attacks on the Cherchell Military Academy in Algeria. The attack left 16 cadets and two civilians dead.
In September, the U.S. State Department said it had information that AQIM had issued threats against chartered planes in Algeria.
Despite the recent audio message touting the success of the so-called Arab Spring, there is little evidence to suggest al-Qaida has influence over political tensions in the region.
Diaa Rashwan, the head of al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies in Egypt, told Egyptian newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm last month that al-Qaida as an organization is crumbling, adding Zawahiri doesn't have any operational control over the various cells emerging in the region.
