Al-Zawahiri formally merged The Egyptian Islamic Jihad into al-Qaeda(Ayman al-Zawahiri)

Ayman al-Zawahiri - Al-Zawahiri formally merged The Egyptian Islamic Jihad into al-Qaeda

Time: 1997

Place: Afghanistan

Details: In 1998, al-Zawahiri formally merged the Egyptian Islamic Jihad into al-Qaeda. According to reports by a former al-Qaeda member, he has worked in the al-Qaeda organization since its inception and was a senior member of the group's shura council. He was often described as a "lieutenant" to Osama bin Laden, though bin Laden's chosen biographer has referred to him as the "real brains" of al-Qaeda.