"Individuals, agencies, and all information media outlets" have been told in an open statement by al-Sahab, sometimes described as al-Qaida's media operation, that they may pose "brief and focused" questions online. They will get their answers, "as much as he is able and at the earliest possible occasion" in cyberspace, probably sometime in mid-January. Jihadist Web sites are said to be alive with inquiries and questions.

Some obvious questions come to mind, starting with one about the central nature of terrorism. Can anything in human or divine justice justify an attack that kills some 3,000 innocent people?

Then there are questions about the nature of al-Qaida's tactics. What kind of cause is it that finds it acceptable to decapitate fellow human beings on camera and then screen the hideous proceedings on the Internet?

These, apparently, are not the kind of question that have been coming in so far to the Jihadist Web sites that appear to be the main means of communication with Zawahiri. Some ask for information about the health and whereabouts of various al-Qaida militants. Many of the questions have asked whether Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, al-Qaida's supposed director in Iraq (described by al-Sahab as “leader of the Islamic State of Iraq”) is a real person or a fictitious character.

The questions and answers, however, may be of less importance than the priority that al-Qaida is clearly giving to its media operations. In his most recent video, released last Sunday, he stressed the role of "jihadi information media," arguing they were "waging an extremely critical battle against the Crusader-Zionist enemy."

Information, said Zawahiri, "used to be the exclusive domain of ... the official government media, and the ... media which claim to be free and non-governmental." No longer; al-Qaida is competing.

Al-Qaida is certainly becoming a significant challenger in the media space. Zawahiri himself has featured in 16 videos and audio messages this year so far. The al-Sahab media operation (the Arabic word means 'The Cloud'’) produced almost 100 videos in 2007, more than the output of the previous three years combined. Many now have sub-titles in different languages and at least one featured 3-D animation. The quality of the recordings has been improved, with one recent Zawahiri statement appearing to have been filmed in a well-lit professional studio.

There has been speculation that Zawahiri is trying, in marketing terms, to re-position himself from being seen as a ruthless mass killer to become a serious political and religious thinker, as a leader and ideologue rather than as a terrorist mastermind. Maybe, but most of Zawahiri's likely audience, whether his supporters or his implacable foes, will already have made up their minds about the kind of person he is, and the degree to which he follows or warps or pollutes the teachings and traditions of Islam.