Senior Fellow and Editor of The Long War Journal
Analysis: Al-Zawahiri Takes al Qaeda’s Helm When Influence is Waning
But as it were, al Qaeda's central command came together and talked it out until they agreed on al-Zawahiri, said Bill Roggio, military affairs analyst who is managing editor of The Long War Journal.
"He has been a very public official. He's very well known in the rank and file," Roggio said. "There's a lot of questions on how he's perceived in the ranks, but even bin Laden had his detractors."
But ultimately, Roggio said, al Qaeda closes ranks, and the group is likely to operate in a business-as-usual mode. ...
But 10 years after those devastating attacks, al Qaeda is well-established, Roggio said. It matters less who is in charge because the middle managers -- the bomb-makers, the men on the streets making the operations decisions -- are entrenched in their jobs.
How important al Qaeda's top job is remains to be seen. "But it is far more established and networked today than it was," Roggio said.