"Terrorists Turn to the Web as Base of Operations"
The cutting-edge in the ideological battle against Islam is found in the loose network of websites dealing with the issue, with some, like Jihad Watch and Faith Freedom International, looming larger than others. It is interesting to notice that Jihadis love the Internet, too. Will the battle of our age be decided in cyberspace?Via the Internet Haganah:
Al Qaeda has become the first guerrilla movement in history to migrate from physical space to cyberspace. With laptops and DVDs, in secret hideouts and at neighborhood Internet cafes, young code-writing jihadists have sought to replicate the training, communication, planning and preaching facilities they lost in Afghanistan with countless new locations on the Internet. In two video reports, experts on jihadists' use of the Web describe how al Qaeda and allied groups are using the Internet to recruit more fighters, spread their message and train their followers to commit acts of terror. Samples of terrorist manuals and screenshots of jihadist Web sites are also available. Al Qaeda suicide bombers and ambush units in Iraq routinely depend on the Web for training and tactical support, relying on the Internet's anonymity and flexibility to operate with near impunity in cyberspace.Such cases have led Western intelligence agencies and outside terrorism specialists to conclude that the "global jihad movement," sometimes led by al Qaeda fugitives but increasingly made up of diverse "groups and ad hoc cells," has become a "Web-directed" phenomenon, as a presentation for U.S. government terrorism analysts by longtime State Department expert Dennis Pluchinsky put it. Hampered by the nature of the Internet itself, the government has proven ineffective at blocking or even hindering significantly this vast online presence.
posted by Unknown @ 7:44 PM
1 Comments:
Fjordman,
First, let me thank you for confirming two of my points in a comment I left at Gates of Vienna. I rarely think to stop by your blog, though it's been recommended to me on several occasions.
Very recently (yesterday?), the Washington Post carried a front page article on the topic of this blog article. I believe you are correct that the battle of our age may be decided in cyberspace.
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