Al Qaeda wields press as terror weapon, report finds

Terrorists use the press and public relations as weapons, said a study released Wednesday by Arizona State University.

. . . jihadist operations use consistent patterns of outreach that establish them socially and religiously, generate public sympathy and intimidate opponents. Threats, in fact, are part of terrorist "talking points."

"Jihadis pursue these strategies using sophisticated, modern methods of communications and public relations," Mr. Corman said. "There's evidence in the documents that jihadis segment audiences and adapt their message to the audience." This week, audio and video messages from Osama bin Laden and Abu Musab Zarqawi were posted on the Internet and immediately picked up by international news organizations.

The report cites similar demonstrations as the "ideological machinery" of terrorist organizations, which maintain formal information committees and are adept at using print, broadcast and online resources on a global basis. The Internet provides such a promising terrorist forum that Mr. Corman suggests the United States create a permanent "geek battalion" to disrupt jihadist message boards and Web sites.

The United States monitors terrorist messages through clandestine agencies or within the State Department's Office of Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. That office follows the objectives set forth by Undersecretary Karen Hughes: to "isolate and marginalize the violent extremists; confront their ideology of tyranny and hate;" and "undermine their efforts to portray the West as in conflict with Islam by empowering mainstream voices and demonstrating respect for Muslim cultures and contributions," the office's mission statement says.

Mr. Corman and co-author Jill Schiefelbein said the Arizona study is a response to "controversies about efforts by the U.S. to influence foreign media coverage of jihadi activities. ... While we deliberate such issues, the jihadis are busy executing a communications and media strategy of their own."

Join the Civilian Irregular Information Group Geek Battalion Auxillary. Unless you are fully confident that the Department of State Office of Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs has everything under control and doesn't need any help from the great unwashed.

"There's evidence in the documents that jihadis segment audiences and adapt their message to the audience."

This has been patently obvious to me from the beginning. They clearly monitor our press and formulate their missives to dovetail with current issues. This is why they so often raise the same points that are covered in DNC talking points and the MSM. They have a very clear understanding of what messages will resonate with Western journalists and will be propagated unquestioningly.

And the media is quite willing to be used as a weapon by al Qaeda.

4 posted on 05/01/2006 1:24:55 PM PDT by God luvs America (When the silent majority speaks the earth trembles!)

#1 Bush's Fault (tm)

#2 This reminds me of the media doing stories on how much trouble Bush has getting credit for good economics.... don't report it, but later report on how odd it was that nobody was reporting it.

This is EXACTLY why the media was dealth with... shall we say differently... in past wars. Well the ones that didn't turn into fiasco's anyway.

5 posted on 05/01/2006 1:47:56 PM PDT by FreedomNeocon (Better to take what they can throw at us now,rather than take what they promise to throw at us later)

P.S. There already is more than one "geek battalion" doing information warfare in service of our great Nation for the gov't.

Those pesky Chinese kids and posers think they are tough, but if probing long-dead ports for long-closed vulnerabilities, and defacing people's home websites was at all useful, you can bet we could do it too.

Our guys have much more important things to do... plus the sign of a true hacker is when nobody even notices he was there.

6 posted on 05/01/2006 1:52:47 PM PDT by FreedomNeocon (Better to take what they can throw at us now,rather than take what they promise to throw at us later)

Unless you are fully confident that the Department of State Office of Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs has everything under control and doesn't need any help from the great unwashed.

I have no such confidence, but I'll wager they do. And so do their counterparts in the Pentagon and White House. Never mind that the facts on the ground clearly indicate that they are in desperate need of such help.

Frequently it's hard to tell whether Al Qaeda is using DNC talking points or vice versa.

8 posted on 05/01/2006 5:36:40 PM PDT by FairOpinion (Dem Foreign Policy: SURRENDER to our enemies. Real conservatives don't help Dems get elected.)

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