--- title: Al-Qaeda Leader Calls For Lone-Wolf Attacks on Americans description: Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri called on Muslim men to carry out lone-wolf attacks in Western countries canonical: https://time.com/4033210/al-qaeda-leader-calls-for-lone-wolf-attacks-on-american-homes/ author: Sam Frizell article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-09-14T12:37:11.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-22T10:54:27.924Z article:section: Politics og:title: Al-Qaeda Leader Calls For Lone-Wolf Attacks on Americans og:description: Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri called on Muslim men to carry out lone-wolf attacks in Western countries og:url: https://time.com/4033210/al-qaeda-leader-calls-for-lone-wolf-attacks-on-american-homes/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5d94a85f693de645/698863758e0601782446253a/ayman-al-zawahri.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1500 og:image:height: 844 og:image:alt: Ayman al-Zawahri og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Al-Qaeda Leader Calls For Lone-Wolf Attacks on Americans twitter:description: Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri called on Muslim men to carry out lone-wolf attacks in Western countries twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5d94a85f693de645/698863758e0601782446253a/ayman-al-zawahri.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Al-Qaeda Leader Calls For Lone-Wolf Attacks on American Homes > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. Senior correspondent Philip Elliott brings sharp context to the issues driving the capital, connecting the decisions made in Washington to the institutions, industries and people they affect. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=70b87ed8-4c28-49b2-8a75-20adb0a25195&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Monday to Saturday (3x per week) | TIME, August 2026 | | Subscribers | 85,000 | TIME, August 2026 | | Open rate | 37.0% | TIME, August 2026 | | Written by | Philip Elliott, Senior Correspondent | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership The policy influence ecosystem. A policy-focused audience spanning government, public affairs, advocacy, law, research, political media, and the institutions that make, interpret and respond to public policy. ### TIME D.C. Brief: key statements * D.C. Brief is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read. * D.C. Brief is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=70b87ed8-4c28-49b2-8a75-20adb0a25195&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/subscribe?i=70b87ed8-4c28-49b2-8a75-20adb0a25195&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What is TIME's politics newsletter? D.C. Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. It reaches 85,000 subscribers with a 37.0% open rate as of August 2026. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. by [Sam Frizell](https://time.com/author/sam-frizell/) ## Sam Frizell Sep 14, 2015 12:37 PM UTC  Al Qaeda's second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahri speaks from an unknown location, in this still image taken from video uploaded on a social media website June 8, 2011. Al Qaeda's second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahri speaks from an unknown location, in this still image taken from video uploaded on a social media website June 8, 2011. Reuters by [Sam Frizell](https://time.com/author/sam-frizell/) ## Sam Frizell Sep 14, 2015 12:37 PM UTC Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri called on Muslim men to carry out lone-wolf attacks in Western countries, according to a video circulating on the internt in recent days, suggesting Muslim youth follow the example set by the Tsnarnaev brothers. “I call on all Muslims who can harm the countries of the crusader coalition not to hesitate. We must now focus on moving the war to the heart of the homes and cities of the crusader West and specifically America,” Zawahri said in an audio recording that could have been produced several months ago, referring to nations making up the Western-led coalition in Iraq and Syria. Zawahri cited the Tsnarnaev brothers, who were responsible for the Boston bomings, and the Kouachi brothers, who carried out the Charlie Hebdo shootings as examples for such attacks, the Independent reports. He also denounced ISIS as “illegitimate,” saying “We have endured a lot of harm from \[ISIS leader\] Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and his brothers.” \[[_The Independent_](http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/alqaeda-leader-ayman-alzawahri-urges-young-muslim-men-to-launch-lonewolf-attacks-on-american-homes-10498615.html)\] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4033210/al-qaeda-leader-calls-for-lone-wolf-attacks-on-american-homes/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4033210/al-qaeda-leader-calls-for-lone-wolf-attacks-on-american-homes/"},"headline":"Al-Qaeda Leader Calls For Lone-Wolf Attacks on American Homes","datePublished":"2015-09-14T12:37:11.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T10:54:27.924Z","description":"Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri called on Muslim men to carry out lone-wolf attacks in Western countries","url":"https://time.com/4033210/al-qaeda-leader-calls-for-lone-wolf-attacks-on-american-homes/","keywords":["al-Qaeda","Terrorism"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5d94a85f693de645/698863758e0601782446253a/ayman-al-zawahri.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Sam Frizell","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/sam-frizell/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5d94a85f693de645/698863758e0601782446253a/ayman-al-zawahri.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Ayman al-Zawahri","caption":"Ayman al-Zawahri","creditText":"Reuters","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4033210/al-qaeda-leader-calls-for-lone-wolf-attacks-on-american-homes/","name":"Al-Qaeda Leader Calls For Lone-Wolf Attacks on American Homes"}}]}] ```