The sheikh will now take your questions

Al-Jazzeera/AFP/Getty Images

When Ayman al-Zawahiri took to cyberspace on Sunday to gloat about Britain’s departure from Southern Iraq, the Islamist websites that carried his video made a startling announcement. Apparently, al-Qaeda’s number two wants to hear from you. Wired’s Danger Room blog has the transcript:

As-Sahab Foundation for Islamic Media, in coordination with Al-Fajr Center, is pleased to announce the organizing of an open meeting with Shaykh Ayman al-Zawahiri, in which he will reply to questions directed to him by individuals, organizations and all information media outlets.

[…] 

Please try to keep the question brief and focused. Organizations and media outlets are requested to give their name at the end of the question, and we request the brothers supervising the collection of questions to transmit them as is without any changes or alteration, whether they be friendly or hostile. As-Sahab will do its best to publish the reply of Shaykh Ayman al-Zawahiri to as many questions at possible at the nearest possible opportunity, with Allah’s help and guidance.

Zawahiri apparently plans to respond to the questions in a video sometime next month. Danger Room’s Noah Shachtman has already started the ball rolling with some possible questions for him:

Why are you so pissed off? What’s your next diabolical plot? Where can a Predator deliver a little present to you right now? And what’s up with that big ol’ splotch on your forehead?”

The presidential YouTube debates were painful enough, but this whole “Web 2.0” thing has clearly gone too far when even the evil-doers are getting in on it. Though, if that bible guy decides to write in, Zawahiri should have a much easier time answering than the Republicans did.