NEW : U.S. believes al - Zawahiri is leading al Qaeda , a U.S. counterterrorism official says . The al Qaeda statement Thursday showed the group 's commitment to leading jihad efforts around the globe . CNN : It 's surprising it took this long , the U.S. official says . NEW : Pakistan 's video message this month is a warning to America . Statement of support to Mullah Omar but does not mention Arab countries .
NEW : U.S. believes al - Zawahiri is leading al Qaeda , a U.S. counterterrorism official says . CNN : It 's surprising it took this long , the U.S. official says . NEW : Pakistan 's video message this month is a warning to America . Statement of support to Mullah Omar but does not mention Arab countries .