Posted on 01/17/2008 2:09:13 PM PST by Cannoneer No. 4
It has been clearly established that terrorist organizations have adopted unusual and innovative ways of using cutting-edge online technologies to expand their movements. Al-Qa`ida’s principal media wing, al-Sahab Media Production, has recently released a flood of new audio and video recordings over Arabic-language internet chat forums, and has even solicited open questions from forum participants to be addressed by al-Qa`ida’s second-incommand, Ayman al-Zawahiri. Yet, while much time and thought has been dedicated to studying the physical content broadcast over these chat forums, there has been far less attention focused on studying the individual users who populate them. In fact, during the past three years, these extremist forums have not only been used as a cover for al-Qa`ida’s propaganda war, but have evolved into a disturbing MySpace-like social-networking hub for homegrown extremists around the world intent on becoming the next generation of terrorists, hijackers and even suicide bombers.
Muntada al-Ansar’s Role in Recruitment
Arguably, no single such forum has achieved greater infamy than the now defunct Muntada al-Ansar (The Supporters Forum)—the brainchild of, among others, a 21-year-old resident of London, Younis Tsouli (known as “Terrorist 007”). The Ansar forum’s user database included an elite assortment of recruiters from multiple terrorist organizations affiliated with al- Qa`ida, including the actual head of Abu Mus`ab al-Zarqawi’s media wing, Abu Maysarah al-Iraqi. Under the careful watch of Tsouli—and with the assistance of such figures as Abu Maysarah—the Ansar forum became a virtual matchmaking service for budding Islamic militants searching for a path to jihad, and particularly for the emerging mujahidin frontline in Iraq. In December 2004—in private messages sent over the Ansar forum—a user from Morocco contacted Tsouli and begged him for help in establishing direct contact with Zarqawi’s network in Iraq: “I want to remind you that we would like to depart to the land of jihad. We await your call as though on the hottest of embers.”1 Upon learning that his travel arrangements had been brokered on his behalf (over e-mail), the Moroccan became ecstatic and gloated,
Praise be to Allah, we are going to go in over there at the time when the Shaykh Usama has given the official attestation to the amir [Zarqawi]…The timing couldn’t be better for us!!!…it is serious, we have taken the bags [and] we can’t go back.2
These men were far from being alone. Another frequent participant on Muntada al- Ansar was a young Sudanese national named Hassan Abdel Rahman. On the web, Rahman had assumed the nickname Zaman al-Hawan (The Era of Shame)—a decision which was
“The notion that even the al-Ekhlaas forum elite were setting forth on their own personal jihad missions was particularly inspiring to other members.”
inspired by the title of an article published in al-Qa`ida’s Sawt al-Jihad online magazine. Rahman first registered on the Ansar forum in April 2004; in only seven months, he authored at least 178 different messages. Later, one of his comrades on the forum wrote about him, stating, “Zaman al-Hawan was a hero of Islam who used to write in these forums, just like the rest of us…at first, he sat still and stayed behind, until Allah called him to join his brothers.”3 In June 2004, Rahman posted a note on the forum which admonished fellow Muntada al-Ansar users,
who will step forward to defend the honor of Muslim women? O’ young men of Muhammad, men of al- Tawhid…arise and aid your Muslim sisters in Iraq now that their honor has been assaulted by the filthy Christians…Where is your pride? Where are all the real men?4
In November 2004, at the height of the second battle for control of Falluja in Iraq, Rahman suddenly disappeared from the forum. Months later, in March 2005, his fate became clear when another Sudanese national broke the news to the community on Muntada al-Ansar: “Allahu Akhbar…O’ brothers, I have just come from the house of our brother Zaman al-Hawan…[he] executed the martyrdom operation in Ba`quba last Wednesday, may Allah accept him.” Phone numbers were posted for Rahman’s father and brother back in Sudan so that users could contact them and offer their congratulations.5 A well-known face on the forum—Saqr al-Jihad al-Afriqi (The African Falcon of Jihad)—offered more details about the final moments of Rahman’s life:
Twelve minutes before the operation in Ba`quba, he called his family and explained his intentions. He told them that, in 15 minutes, news of his death would be delivered to them—and then he vanished in the cause of Allah… Twenty minutes later, another brother called his father to inform him of his son’s departure to meet the virgins of paradise.
Even senior Muntada al-Ansar administrators contributed eulogies in honor of Rahman, such as the notorious Saif al-Islam al-Athari. In an open address to his departed comrade, al-Athari mourned,
you left people behind you heartbroken and went to achieve martyrdom. We thank Allah, the Islamic nation, the mujahidin, and all of the supporters of jihad for inspiring you…May Allah accept you in paradise.6
Indeed, forum administrators such as al- Athari were eagerly encouraging faithful users to follow the path of online martyrs like Hassan Abdel Rahman. In August 2005, Saif al-Islam al-Athari was again the one who broke the “good news” to Muntada al- Ansar users about a “meeting of Ansar forum members” inside Iraq:
This story is fascinating and emotional because it is closely linked to…the Ansar forum…One of our brothers who was a member on the Ansar forum and was originally from a country adjacent to Iraq decided to leave and fight in the cause of Allah. Allah made it possible for him to meet with an additional five brothers from other countries who had all come to fight in the cause of Allah… Later, after talking with one another, they all realized that they were fellow users on the Ansar forum, and that made them very happy. They began crying and their love for Allah increased…I also inform you that one of the brothers who is a member on the Ansar forum will soon rejoin his beloved comrades in the land of jihad and martyrdom, the land of Mesopotamia, and he will also participate in a suicide operation.7
Muntada al-Ansar’s Legacy
Unfortunately, the shuttering of Muntada al-Ansar in late 2005 and the subsequent arrest and conviction of Younis Tsouli have done almost nothing to deter this disturbing trend. In the wake of the Ansar forum’s disappearance, other online chat venues have taken over and, once again, are serving as an active recruiting ground
“This is the hidden dark side of online socialnetworking— as a virtual factory for the production of terrorists.”
for al-Qa`ida—including the ubiquitous al-Ekhlaas forum. Although the al- Ekhlaas site has actually been in existence since the era of Muntada al-Ansar, it has particularly gained in public prominence and notoriety during the last year, as other similar sites have been forced to deal with intermittent service blackouts. Al-Ekhlaas has become so sophisticated that it now posts slick, animated advertisements for upcoming recordings of Usama bin Ladin and Ayman al-Zawahiri. As such, it serves as one of al-Qa`ida’s most important public mouthpieces.
In late May 2007, a widely-admired administrator on the al-Ekhlaas forum— using the handle “Mujahid 1988”—posted a new message, declaring,
I say goodbye to you, I loved you all. Dear brothers, I say farewell to you and I thank Allah who has enabled all of us to follow the path of jihad. I am filled with joy. Soon my humble will, that I sent a few days ago to one of the brothers, shall be posted to you all… may all of us meet in paradise. You should keep on the path of jihad and do not forget to pray for us. All I ask you, dear brothers, is to pray to Allah that I may achieve martyrdom.8
The notion that even the al-Ekhlaas forum elite were setting forth on their own personal jihad missions was particularly inspiring to other members. Mujahid 1988’s initial farewell received a torrent of responses from other users. A second administrator wrote back,
Allahu Akhbar…believe me, my friend, the words are frozen in my mouth as I stammer and do not know what to say. I am happy and sad at the same time, joyful for you and for all the mujahidin, and pleased because you have put your knowledge into action and you were not merely content with staying on the internet forums without entering the real world, where killings and death truly are.
Other users offered a chorus of prayers that Mujahid 1988 be granted martyrdom “and receive it in a hail of bullets.”9
The example set by Mujahid 1988 was a powerful signal to other aspiring cyberterrorists about the necessity of gathering useful information over the internet and then “putting it to good use” on the battlefields of the mujahidin. One such user was a North African militant operating under the pseudonym Abu al-Hijja al-Maghribi. In his various posts on the al-Ekhlaas forum, Abu al-Hijja explored a range of topics— including sharing ideas for new graphic designs with al-Qa`ida fighters in Iraq and discussing the best methods to destroy U.S. Apache helicopters and Abrams tanks. After a curious absence, he reappeared in November 2007 with a message titled, “The Will of Brother Abu al-Hijja al-Maghribi, Member of the al-Ekhlaas Forum”:
Dear brothers…I did go suddenly to Iraq, praise be to Allah for his blessing. The brothers here have allowed me to get on the internet for one hour and I have used it to send a message to you all. I am full of happiness for coming here and…I am a member in all the jihadist forums under various names…I ask Allah to use these forums to glorify Islam…Saying farewell to all of you brothers is indeed a hard thing to do…I would like to thank you personally… the brothers in al-Nusrah forum. I also send my regards to…all al-Ekhlaas forum members. I promise you that I will fight every infidel and crusader, and may Allah grant us martyrdom. I also inform you that our brother Mujahid 1988 is safe and sound, praise be to Allah for his blessing.10
Conclusion
In the same way that traditional terrorist training camps once served as beacons for would-be jihadists, online support forums such as Muntada al-Ansar and al-Ekhlaas now operate as black holes in cyberspace, drawing in and indoctrinating sympathetic recruits, teaching them basic military skills and providing a web of social contacts that bridges directly into the ranks of al-Qa`ida. Rather than simply using the web as a weapon to destroy the infrastructure of their enemies, al-Qa`ida is using it instead as a logistical tool to revolutionize the process of terrorist enlistment and training. Ironically, these chat forums are based on the same viral methodology behind the success of many contemporary American high-tech enterprises. This is the hidden dark side of online social-networking—as a virtual factory for the production of terrorists.
Evan F. Kohlmann is an NBC News terrorism analyst and a senior investigator at the Nine Eleven Finding Answers (NEFA) Foundation. He has served at various times as a private consultant in terrorism matters for the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Office of the High Representative in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Australian Federal Police, Central Scotland Police, the UK Crown Prosecution Service and Scotland Yard’s SO-15 Counter Terrorism Command. Mr. Kohlmann holds a degree in International Politics from the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service (Georgetown University) and a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. He is also the recipient of a certificate in Islamic studies from the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding (CMCU) at Georgetown University. 10
infowar ping
Here is a link about the British government going after terrorist forums: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1955289/posts
WWII was won with fewer losses by intercepting Axis communications. If Al Qaeda agents are willing to put their plans and identities online, piece together their network.
I read somewhere, recently, maybe even from something you posted, about the degenerate scumbags we’re fighting are also scouring MySpace and such for background/personal info on US and Coalition soldiers.
This may be an indicator of planned attacks on the families and friends of our warfighters.
Cannonette got harrassed.
Sleeper cell attacks, killings, kidnappings of deployed troop's spouses and children would be very demoralizing and in some towns would lead to vigilante justice against local practitioners of the Religion of Peace. Of course the law enforcement agencies that did not prevent the original attack will be galvanized into action to apprehend those who would take the law into their own hands.
Do they have dental and 401K?
They do not.
As long as these terrorist websites and forums are up the terrorists are achieving their ultimate goals which are to recruit more people for terror, brain wash them, fill them with hate, and also teach them how to conduct violent terrorist acts. The terrorists are very much aware that they are being monitored, they say it all the time on their forums, and they know that there is a small possibility that some may be arrested because of the internet but despite all this the most important thing for them is to have the forums remain up so they can achieve their goals that I described above. There is nothing more that can hurt the internet terrorists than shutting down their forums and websites, I know this very well because I see their extreme anger and frustration when one of their websites or forums is down.
When studying the terrorist websites and forums one should weigh the balance between shutting it down or keeping it up. I strongly believe, in fact I am absolutely sure, that the grave danger caused by these terrorist forums far outweigh any intelligence value or other matters that can be obtained from them. Even if there is a proof of capturing dozens of terrorists because of these forums still these forums are causing much more damage of being kept up than any positive achievement that may be presented by monitoring them.
marked to read later
Thanks for the ping.
Now here we come to the issue of IO fratricide. How can you, or anyone without access to classified infomation, be certain that leaving some sites up does not produce actionable intelligence worth the risk of leaving the site up?
If a sergeant fom Cyber Space Command emailed you and asked you to leave a site alone, would you tell him to pound sand?
Command and control of irregular information operators is a thorny problem I have been thinking about. If we had full faith and confidence in the Regulars, we wouldn't be doing it for free in our spare time, but the object for most of us is to do what the Regulars aren't, not screw up what they are trying to do.
I advise the Regulars to establish rapport and attempt to coordinate with Irregulars like Special Forces influences guerrilla chiefs.
The government may able produce dozens of cases where they have arrested terrorists online thinking that these cases justify keeping the site up but I totally disagree because the terrorists are really are happy as long as the site is up and doing what is supposed to do, the arrest of some of their terrorist brethren online is only a small sacrifice for their main cause which to recruit more people and teaching them how to conduct terrorism.
The British got it, I hope that our government gets it very soon.
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