A web wise terror network
COMMUNICATING OBJECTIVES
Analysts believe that in some cases, messages are issued to set broad strategic objectives or target lists of places and people who should be subject to attack with the hope that independent cells, individuals and networks will then act on these in their own way.
They sometimes display a high degree of political awareness. One important paper entitled "Jihadi Iraq: Hopes and Dangers", spotted in Norway in December, looks at how members of the coalition occupying Iraq could be peeled off through terrorist attacks.
Spain is identified as presenting a particular opportunity given the general election that was then a few months off. It could, of course, be a coincidence that Madrid was then targeted just days before its election, but no one is sure.
There is less evidence of the internet being used by the Al Qaeda core for issuing specific orders or operational commands, or even for fundraising.
Email is used more often, but al-Qaeda operatives are trained to avoid detection, only using cyber-cafes briefly and using an email account for only one message before abandoning it.
Complex but publicly available encryption could also be used, but using this technology could draw attention - rendering regular message boards and groups a safer way of operating.
The 9/11 hijackers communicated through internet chat rooms, often using codenames and codewords for their plans. There is also some debate over a technique called steganography, which involves embedding secret messages within publicly available files and images on the internet, but there is little evidence so that al-Qaeda has used this.
Similarly there is some debate over whether messages from Osama Bin Laden and his deputy Ayman Al-Zawahiri contain any kind of message triggering groups around the world to attack. Again here the evidence is mixed. (snipped)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/3716908.stm
Thanks for posting that, Honestly. So there is no concrete proof of a "go code" before every attack. That the jury is still out on that is somewhat sobering. We may never see or hear a warning even if we are looking and listening earnestly for it.