Posted on 11/27/2002 12:02:13 PM PST by Hellmouth
Saw these two messages on the Usenet Group: alt.tv.lexx.
Subject: Ghassan Muhammad: Al Queda will destroy the infidels (next attack on Buy Nothing Day) Date: Mon, 25 Nov 2002 08:16:36 GMT From: annihilator-7@erlenstar.demon.co.uk Organization: Al Queda Newsgroups: alt.tv.lexx
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Ghassan Muhammad, allah be praised, here are your orders:
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-----END PGP MESSAGE-----
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BdOaOwQ/wMOhpjAh9agikerP1Am5nb1hXGWreTFtslujEv+SKpoUQ1T8ZAHDfODM czBPHRZ7tEa+45cL1oDuRihpZE5oZETiQxByD86aTb== =knMM -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
Subject: Abdel Ali AL-Shouli: Al Queda will destroy the infidels (next attack on Buy Nothing Day) Date: Mon, 25 Nov 2002 22:09:10 GMT From: annihilator-3@erlenstar.demon.co.uk Organization: Al Queda Newsgroups: alt.tv.lexx
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Abdel Ali AL-Shouli, allah be praised, here are your orders:
-----BEGIN PGP MESSAGE----- Version: 2.6.2i
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-----END PGP MESSAGE-----
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Here's the Path of one of the messages:
Path: mindspring!stamper.news.atl.earthlink.net!stamper.news.pas.earthlink.net!newsfeed2.earthlink.net!newsfeed.earthlink.net!newsfeed.news2me.com!nntp1.phx1.gblx.net!nntp.gblx.net!nntp.gblx.net!news.hgc.com.hk!newsfeed.direct.ca!look.ca!newsfeeds.sol.net!newspump.sol.net!newsfeeds.sol.net!news.execpc.com!newspeer.sol.net!news.noc.cabal.int!news-out.riddles.org.uk.POSTED!annihilator!not-for-mail
I vote for "some idiot goofing around".
No terrorist cell savvy enough to communicate with encrypted PGP messages would be stupid enough to put a plaintext header on the message saying, "we're muslim terrorists and we're attacking on such-and-such a day".
Instead, they'd just put all their info in the encrypted message itself and post it as an unmarked block of ciphertext. To alert the recipients they could either use an agreed-upon keyword in the header (something perfectly innocuous, like "platypus"), or simply have the receivers attempt to decrypt every message in the newsgroup -- only the ones intended for them would decrypt successfully using their code keys.
A prankster, on the other hand, would need to put enough "teaser" info in the header to get people riled up and wondering what's in the ciphertext (probably a recipe for pumpkin pie). Simply posting ciphertext alone wouldn't draw any interest at all, and would not meet the hoaxer's desire to get people stirred up.
It'll all be over when Al-Qaeda gets nanotechnology. Under the direction of their Supreme Bio-Vizier, the entire mass of our universe will be converted into Osama drones.
Bali is a Hindu enclave in a Muslim country (Indonesia).
Evidence of cooperation between anarchists and Islamofascists?
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