AGE: 56
OCCUPATION: Deputy chief of al-Qaeda
NUMBER OF TIME COVERS: 0
PREVIOUS APPEARANCES ON THE TIME 100: 1
PRO: Osama bin Laden's heir apparent, the Egyptian-born physician has dodged Pakistani manhunts and Predator drones to maintain his position as one of the most visible figures in the global jihad. This December, he took questions from the public, via the Internet.
CON: It's speculated that bin Laden, feeling marginalized by Zawahiri's rising profile, released his recent messages partially to put his deputy back in his place. Zawahiri's Pakistani focus — Musharraf remains his main target — was criticized as short-sighted and narrow by rival militants. Meanwhile, there are indications that the global jihad is no longer taking its cues from al-Qaeda's chieftains.