What, exactly, is the "chatter" the terrorist experts speak of?

[darkstar]

I understand it to be an uptick in communications. However, what I'd like to know are the various means--shortwave, email, phones--and, more important, the degree to which the content is understood.

Is it simply greater fervor on certain web sites? Evidence of increased phone calls, but no access to the exchanges? Coded messages via public key encryption?

In other words, how is it that the agencies are aware that communications have increased but not the nature of these communications?

Thanks in advance.

[mr_hat]

1. And why was there none reported before Madrid?

[WoodrowFan]

4. good question, but

it assumes every uptick in traffic is reported to the press.

[WoodrowFan]

2. lots of things

cell phone calls, regular land line calls on tapped phones, web traffic, etc, etc. Any electronic communications that can be observed by NSA or other country's equivalents to NSA. They would be measuring both volume AND content.

[darkstar]

9. Thanks for the anwers, WF; a few more questions

1) How is volume alone measured?

2) What are the barriers between measuring volume and understanding content? I.e., if phone is tapped, there would appear to only be code speak. Are there suspect phone numbers that they watch for traffic but don't have tapped? Of the content they do have access to, it seems obvious that "We're gonna do x on date y" rises above mere "chatter"; of the non-specific "chatter" content they do get, does it have any typical chracteristics?

Thanks again

[WoodrowFan]

12. I'll try

1) how is it measured. I don't know. I'm guessing web traffic is easy enough. But as for phone calls, maybe number of calls and length? 10 calls lasting 5 minutes is less important that 20 calls lasting 30 minutes.


2) I'm guessing that it's a combination of specific numbers, specific people, and experience.

[DuctapeFatwa]

3. Mostly posts on obscure message boards by 14 year old wannabe

"jihadis" who argue about which Lands' End jacket is the most ideal for jihad and how they can get their moms to buy them one.

[Ysabel]

11. my mom never bought me...

one of those - darn it...

[Nostradammit]

5. The sound eminating from Rumsfeld's office -

during a Cheney visit.

[tridim]

6. I'd like to know why everybody assumes

that Al Quaida communes in "training camps". I think this was BS from day one. Notice how they always show that same clip of guys climbing on monkey bars? I've never seen any other proof that they even have training camps. Their terror plans don't require physical training, it could just be a few guys sitting in a house talking to each other, no chatter at all.

[WoodrowFan]

7. LOL

you haven't paid much attention then. They even had a special camp for the Saudi would-be jihaders, becuase they tended to be fat and couldn't do the regular boot camp training.

They had camps, and the earth is round too!

[PeopleForChange]

8. Maybe CIA was listening to...

squirrels chattering?



Or even yaks chattering?



:hi: to Zombywoof

[WoodrowFan]

10. NSA, not CIA

NSA listens to electronic traffic..
NRO runs the satellites,
CIA analizes all the intell and runs some of the human spies.
DIA does the same as CIA but concentrates on military issues.
the individual military intell services do the same as DIA but concentrate on their particular branch
State talks to the other county's diplomats
YIA: Yak Intelligence Agency runs the Secret Yak service. :)

[DoYouEverWonder]

13. Nowadays it's mostly internet chatter

created by self styled terrorist experts who claim to have direct communication with al Qaeda terrorists. Folks like Jeremy Reynalds, Douglas Hagmann, Steve Quayle and sites like Bush Country, Free Republic and Northeast Intelligence Network.

I believe most of the chatter is generated by this handful of wannabes and Debka.