Al-Qaida-linked terror groups and their sympathizers have in recent months made a big splash on the Internet, making it their communications channel of choice. They're benefiting from free discussion boards, e-mail accounts and other online forums for propaganda, recruitment, fund-raising and even planning. If law enforcement has done little to squelch these outlets, it's only in part because of the difficulty of catching moving targets. More importantly, these online soapboxes can provide investigators with crucial leads.
"It's a game of cat and mouse in which the cat is always going to be behind," said Michael Vatis, former cybersecurity director at the FBI. "It's a more effective strategy to actually use these sites for gathering intelligence rather than engaging in a futile effort to shut them down."
<snip>
Separate research conducted by Weimann, Dartmouth College and The Associated Press found terrorists to be using the Internet in several ways:
_Propaganda. Terrorists make demands, try to elicit sympathy, attempt to instill fear and chaos and to explain themselves. The Web lets them offer up gruesome video images that broadcasters would reject.
_Recruitment. Chat rooms are monitored and questionnaires sent to prospects, though recruits must often pass many tests online and offline before they are accepted.
_Fund-raising. Sites solicit donations to charities that may serve as fronts for terror groups, in many cases by providing mailing addresses and wire-transfer accounts.
_Planning. Free e-mail accounts connect members around the world. Messages are often encrypted, and Dartmouth researchers say online manuals even discuss ways to avoid detection. Following a security crackdown in Saudi Arabia, one poster warned "fighters" to avoid a certain geographical location.
"Politicians and, of course, commercial interests effectively use the Internet to convey their message, appeal for support and attract ... financial contributions," said Brian Jenkins, a terrorism expert at the Rand Corp. "These groups behave in the same way."
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=528&ncid=528&e=3&u=/ap/20040626/ap_on_hi_te/terrorists_online_5
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
