Editing Ayman al-Zawahiri (section)

===Joining al-Qaeda===
al-Zawahiri is reportedly a qualified surgeon; when his organization merged with bin Laden's al-Qaeda, he became bin Laden's personal adviser and physician.<ref>[https://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/people/shows/zawahiri/profile.html Egyptian doctor emerges as terror mastermind], ''CNN''</ref><ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/24/world/nation-challenged-heir-apparent-egyptian-seen-top-aide-successor-bin-laden.html A NATION CHALLENGED: HEIR APPARENT; Egyptian Seen As Top Aide And Successor To bin Laden], ''The New York Times''</ref> He had first met bin Laden in Jeddah in 1986. al-Zawahiri has shown a radical understanding of Islamic theology and Islamic history. He speaks Arabic, English and French. He is under worldwide sanctions by the United Nations Security Council 1267 Committee as a member or affiliate of al-Qaeda.<ref>[https://www.un.org/securitycouncil/sanctions/1267/aq_sanctions_list/summaries/individual/aiman-muhammed-rabi-al-zawahiri AIMAN MUHAMMED RABI AL-ZAWAHIRI], United Nations Security Council</ref>

In 1998, al-Zawahiri formally merged the Egyptian Islamic Jihad into al-Qaeda. According to reports by a former al-Qaeda member, he has worked in the al-Qaeda organization since its inception and was a senior member of the group's shura council. He was often described as a "lieutenant" to Osama bin Laden, though bin Laden's chosen biographer has referred to him as the "real brains" of al-Qaeda.