Posted on 09/20/2007 8:56:59 PM PDT by stainlessbanner
WASHINGTON - Once her son is off to school, Laura Mansfield settles in at her dining room table with her laptop and begins trolling Arabic-language message boards and chat rooms popular with jihadists.
Fluent in Arabic, the self-employed terror analyst often hacks into the sites, translates the material, puts it together and sends her analysis via a subscription service to intelligence agencies, law enforcement and academics.
Occasionally she comes across a gem, such as when she found a recent Osama bin Laden video — before al-Qaida had announced it.
"I realized, oh my gosh, I'm sitting here, I'm a fat 50-year-old mom and I've managed to scoop al-Qaida," said Mansfield, who uses that name as a pseudonym because she receives death threats.
She sometimes spends 100 hours a week online, and she often finds items after word has begun spreading on the Arabic forums of an imminent release.
"It's really important to understand what the jihadists think and how they're planning on doing things," she said. "They're very vocal. They tell us what they're going to do and then they go out and do it."
Mansfield tips off her intelligence sources when she does find something new, part of an informal working relationship with the government.
"When I send them something, it's welcome," she said. "They thank me."
There have been times when an impending video release has kept her from a planned shopping trip with her daughter.
"It gets really challenging when you're trying to do that and cook spaghetti at the same time," she said.
Laura is amazing.
And we shouldn't have to rely on a myriad of sources to get the real news unmolested by the MSM...but we do.
Online, no one knows you're a dog. Right?
With a few flips and tricks, backtracking can lead to a jihadists insider instead of a Mom in SC. (if that's where he/she is).
What's really curious is that the MSM has made nothing of the faked-up videos AQ is releasing and the lack of voice match with the supposed leaders. Dirt naps everyone of them?
She is a hero in every sense of the word.
God protect her.
Except for a guy named Buckhead we would have had a President Kerry..
bump
What makes you think the RNC is conservative? It is currently headed by Mel Martinez - an enabler of criminals and a social re-engineer extraordinaire.
Your comparison is invalid.
BTTT
I hope this is an alias.
She could be in danger if the enemy wants to track her down.
Don’t know what this lady looks like, and don’t really care either! To me, she is a really beautiful American woman and I hope we have lots more like her.
An American Mom making a difference ping!
“You would think with all of the freaking tax money we pay Uncle Sam they wouldn’t have to rely on a fat 50-year-old mom sitting at home for intelligence.”
That were my first thoughts....In the big picture this is not good to say the least!!!
I heard about Laura Mansfield before, she is a great Patriot and her work is very valuable.
I know we are all very proud of this lady. If she is receiving death threats, shouldn’t we help keep her identity a secret?
I think this thread needs to be cleansed of any information that might help the terrorists identify her.
Is anybody taking notes? ;-/
My concern is that some IslamoNazis look her up and give her a visit.
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