CAIRO, Egypt -- Osama bin Laden's longtime deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri, who is known for his deep hatred of the West and helped plan the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, has taken control of al-Qaida after the death last month of the terrorism network's founder, the group said Thursday.

Al-Zawahri, an Egyptian-born surgeon, has been credited with bringing tactical and organizational cunning to al-Qaida, which has found itself increasingly decentralized and prone to internal disputes following its expulsion from Afghanistan after the 2001 U.S. invasion.

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