(CNN) -- A statement from al Qaeda on Friday marking the death of Osama bin Laden included renewed warnings of terrorist attacks against U.S. interests around the world and suggested that a process to choose his successor is under way. "Sheikh Osama didn't build an organization to die when he dies," the message said. It was posted on several jihadist forums known for carrying al Qaeda statements. The man taking over will most likely be Ayman al-Zawahiri, an Egyptian who was al Qaeda's No. 2 under bin Laden. The bylaws of al Qaeda, recovered by the U.S. military in Afghanistan after September 11, set out clear guidelines on the replacement of bin Laden, requiring the Command, or Shura, Council of al Qaeda to "pledge allegiance to the deputy emir and elect him as emir in the event that the emir dies or is captured and there is no hope for his liberation."
@highlight
Ayman al-Zawahiri is the most likely successor to bin Laden, but he lacks his charisma
@highlight
Some Saudi and Yemeni members may refuse to swear allegiance to an Egyptian
@highlight
But al-Zawahiri has a reputation for strategic cunning and vision
@highlight
He is likely to face a difficult choice in selecting a deputy
Analysts expect that al Qaeda may choose to announce the elevation of @placeholder through a written statement to avoid having him take the security risk of recording a statement.
@placeholder was the charismatic icon of the terrorist organization and may have continued to play a greater operational role than thought.
The discovery of information in bin Laden's files on what appears to be a small-scale aspirational plot to derail U.S. commuter trains on the 10th anniversary of September 11 indicates that @placeholder was being briefed even on the minutiae of some of al Qaeda's operations.