Al Qaeda urges Syrians not to seek help from the west Al Qaeda's chief, Ayman al-Zawahri, has warned Syrian rebels not to rely on help from nations outside of Syria. In an eight minute video, entitled 'Lions of Syria' and posted on an Islamist website, the Egyptian-born Zawahri urged individual Muslims in Turkey, Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan to come to the aid of Syrian rebels confronting Assad's forces. "Our people in Syria, don't rely on the West or the United States or Arab governments and Turkey," Zawahri said. If we want freedom, we must be liberated from this regime. If we want justice, we must retaliate against this regime. Zawahri became commander of al Qaeda following the assassination of Osama bin Laden by US special forces in Pakistan last May. This is believed to be his second appeal to Syrian protesters, following a message in July urging them to denounce the US and Israel as well as Assad's regime.