2022 essay reveals El-Sayed called Zawahiri strike a political stunt

Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Michigan, accused then-President Joe Biden in 2022 of exploiting the death of a top 9/11 planner for domestic political gain. The newly resurfaced essay argues that the administration used the drone strike on Ayman al-Zawahiri to lift the president's standing ahead of the midterm elections.

Biden announced the killing of al-Zawahiri on Aug. 1, 2022. In that statement, Biden described the al-Qaeda leader as deeply involved in planning the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. He noted that the attacks killed 2,977 people on American soil. Intelligence officials have long maintained that al-Zawahiri helped plan those attacks and other deadly assaults on Americans abroad.

El-Sayed wrote for The New Republic that the strike was a way for Biden to bolster his approval ratings. He stated that it was troubling to watch another American president flog War on Terror themes to resurrect a laggard term. The candidate also argued that the operation gave the administration a fig leaf. He claimed it showed that Afghanistan remained open to direct action against terrorist targets even under Taliban rule.

In the essay, El-Sayed suggested that if Biden wanted to project strength in the Middle East, he should confront autocratic leaders in the region. He noted that the United States has traditionally been aligned with those leaders. Despite his criticism of the president, El-Sayed did not defend al-Zawahiri. He described the leader as a craven terrorist who died with the blood of innocent civilians on his hands.

This is not the first time El-Sayed has questioned high-profile counterterrorism actions. After President Donald Trump ordered the 2020 strike that killed Qassem Soleimani, El-Sayed warned that one should not kick a rabid dog. He also called the Obama administration's killing of U.S. citizen Anwar al-Awlaki an extrajudicial assassination. El-Sayed has previously compared Trump to Osama bin Laden, suggesting both inspired people to commit acts of terrorism.

El-Sayed’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital on Wednesday. The essay was first reported by the Washington Free Beacon. Biden’s announcement of the strike occurred two months before the 2022 midterm elections.