Editing Al-Qaeda (section)

== Criticism ==

According to [[CNN]] journalists [[Peter Bergen]] and Paul Cruickshank, a number of "religious scholars, former fighters and militants" who previously supported [[Islamic State of Iraq]] (ISI) had turned against the al-Qaeda-supported [[Iraqi insurgency (2003–2011)|Iraqi insurgency]] in 2008; due to ISI's indiscriminate attacks against civilians while targeting [[Multi-National Force – Iraq|US-led coalition]] forces. American military analyst [[Bruce Riedel]] wrote in 2008 that "a wave of revulsion" arose against ISI, which enabled US-allied [[Sons of Iraq]] faction to turn various tribal leaders in the [[Anbar region]] against the Iraqi insurgency. In response, Bin Laden and Zawahiri issued public statements urging Muslims to rally behind ISI leadership and support the armed struggle against American forces.<ref>{{Harvnb|Bergen|Cruickshank|2008}}; {{Harvnb|Wright|2008}}. Quotes taken from {{Harvnb|Riedel|2008|pp=106–107}} and {{Harvnb|Bergen|Cruickshank|2008}}.</ref>

In November 2007, former [[Libyan Islamic Fighting Group]] (LIFG) member [[Noman Benotman]] responded with a public, open letter of criticism to Ayman al-Zawahiri, after persuading the imprisoned senior leaders of his former group to enter into peace negotiations with the Libyan regime. While Ayman al-Zawahiri announced the affiliation of the group with al-Qaeda in November 2007, the Libyan government released 90 members of the group from prison several months after "they were said to have renounced violence."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/AA64F530-BCA8-40B0-8226-22154CCD1032.htm|title=Libya releases scores of prisoners|publisher=English.aljazeera.net|date=April 9, 2008|access-date=March 22, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080718232829/http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/AA64F530-BCA8-40B0-8226-22154CCD1032.htm|archive-date=July 18, 2008}}</ref>

In 2007, on the anniversary of the September 11 attacks,{{sfn|Wright|2008}} the Saudi sheikh [[Salman al-Ouda]] delivered a personal rebuke to bin Laden. Al-Ouda addressed al-Qaeda's leader on television asking him:
{{blockquote|My brother Osama, how much blood has been spilt? How many innocent people, children, elderly, and women have been killed{{spaces}}... in the name of al-Qaeda? Will you be happy to meet God Almighty carrying the burden of these hundreds of thousands or millions [of victims] on your back?<ref name=theunraveling>{{Harvnb|Bergen|Cruickshank|2008}}.</ref>}}

According to Pew polls, support for al-Qaeda had dropped in the Muslim world in the years before 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/05/taking_stock_in_the_war_on_ter.html|title=Taking Stock of the War on Terror|publisher=Realclearpolitics.com|date=May 22, 2008|access-date=March 22, 2010}}</ref> In Saudi Arabia, only ten percent had a favorable view of al-Qaeda, according to a December 2007 poll by Terror Free Tomorrow, a Washington-based [[think tank]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/12/17/saudi.poll/index.html|title=December 18, 2007 Poll: Most Saudis oppose al Qaeda|publisher=CNN|date=December 18, 2007|access-date=March 22, 2010}}</ref>

In 2007, the imprisoned [[Dr Fadl|Dr. Fadl]], who was an influential [[Afghan Arabs|Afghan Arab]] and former associate of [[Ayman al-Zawahiri]], withdrew his support from al-Qaeda and criticized the organization in his book ''[[Sayyed Imam Al-Sharif#Rationalizing Jihad in Egypt and the World|Wathiqat Tarshid Al-'Aml Al-Jihadi fi Misr w'Al-'Alam]]'' ({{langx|en|Rationalizing Jihad in Egypt and the World}}). In response, Al-Zawahiri accused Dr. Fadl of promoting "an Islam without jihad" that aligns with Western interests and wrote a nearly two hundred pages long treatise, titled "''The Exoneration''" which appeared on the Internet in March 2008. In his treatise, Zawahiri justified military strikes against US targets as retaliatory attacks to defend [[Muslim community]] against American aggression.{{sfn|Wright|2008}}

In an online town hall forum conducted in December 2007, Zawahiri denied that al-Qaeda deliberately targeted innocents and accused the American coalition of killing innocent people.<ref>{{harvnb|Wright|2008}}: 'In December, in order to stanch the flow of criticism, Zawahiri boldly initiated a virtual town-hall meeting... Zawahiri protested that Al Qaeda had not killed innocents. "In fact, we fight those who kill innocents. Those who kill innocents are the Americans... and their agents."'</ref> Although once associated with al-Qaeda, in September 2009 [[Libyan Islamic Fighting Group|LIFG]] completed a new "code" for jihad, a 417-page religious document entitled "Corrective Studies". Given its credibility and the fact that several other prominent Jihadists in the Middle East have turned against al-Qaeda, the LIFG's reversal may be an important step toward staunching al-Qaeda's recruitment.<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/11/09/libya.jihadi.code/ "New jihad code threatens al Qaeda"], Nic Robertson and Paul Cruickshank, [[CNN]], November 10, 2009</ref>

=== Other criticisms ===
Bilal Abdul Kareem, an American journalist based in Syria created a documentary about [[Al-Shabaab (militant group)|al-Shabab]], al-Qaeda's affiliate in Somalia. The documentary included interviews with former members of the group who stated their reasons for leaving al-Shabab. The members made accusations of segregation, lack of religious awareness and internal corruption and favoritism. In response to Kareem, the [[Global Islamic Media Front]] condemned Kareem, called him a liar, and denied the accusations from the former fighters.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://jihadology.net/2017/06/06/new-release-from-the-global-islamic-media-front-lies-in-disguise-a-response-from-the-deep-heart-of-a-mujahid-of-the-lions-of-islam-in-somalia/|title=New release from the Global Islamic Media Front: 'Lies in Disguise: A Response From the Deep Heart of a Mujāhid of the Lions of Islām in Somalia'|date=June 6, 2017}}</ref>

In mid-2014 after the [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant]] declared that they had restored the [[Caliphate]], an audio statement was released by the then-spokesman of the group [[Abu Muhammad al-Adnani]] claiming that "the legality of all emirates, groups, states, and organizations, becomes null by the expansion of the Caliphate's authority." The speech included a religious refutation of al-Qaeda for being too lenient regarding [[Shiites]] and their refusal to recognize the authority [[Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi]], al-Adnani specifically noting: "It is not suitable for a state to give allegiance to an organization." He also recalled a past instance in which [[Osama bin Laden]] called on al-Qaeda members and supporters to give allegiance to [[Abu Omar al-Baghdadi]] when the group was still solely operating in Iraq, as the [[Islamic State of Iraq]], and condemned [[Ayman al-Zawahiri]] for not making this same claim for Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Zawahiri was encouraging factionalism and division between former allies of ISIL such as the [[al-Nusra Front]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.siteintelgroup.com/Jihadist-News/isis-spokesman-declares-caliphate-rebrands-group-as-islamic-state.html|title=ISIS Spokesman Declares Caliphate, Rebrands Group as 'Islamic State'|last=SiteIntelGroup|website=news.siteintelgroup.com|date=June 29, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://jihadology.net/2014/06/29/al-furqan-media-presents-a-new-audio-message-from-the-islamic-states-shaykh-abu-mu%E1%B8%A5ammad-al-adnani-al-shami-this-is-the-promise-of-god/|title=al-Furqān Media presents a new audio message from the Islamic State's Shaykh Abū Muḥammad al 'Adnānī al-Shāmī: 'This Is the Promise of God'|date=June 29, 2014}}</ref>