Terrorists love the internet...

2007-05-03 17:50

Washington - Extremist Islamic groups have come to value the internet so much for its ability to spread their message that some have said the keyboard is as important as a Kalashnikov rifle, says a report for congress.

The report, to be presented on Thursday to the senate homeland security and governmental affairs committee, says terrorists have increased their use of the internet to make their activities faster, cheaper and more secure.

Use of the internet for communications, propaganda and research has grown to include recruitment and training, says the report prepared by a panel of experts brought together by George Washington University's Homeland Security Policy Institute and the University of Virginia's Critical Incident Analysis Group.

The report found that terrorists have used the internet in a variety of new ways, including:

"Dead drops": An e-mail message is saved as a draft rather than being sent. Anyone with access can log in and read the message, but it is less likely to be intercepted by authorities.

"Parasiting": Training manuals can be hidden deep inside seemingly innocent subdirectories on legitimate websites.

Research: Terrorists can research potential targets online, using both text and imagery.

Fundraising: Terrorists can launch their appeals for donations anonymously online.

The study noted internet chat rooms have replaced meetings in mosques, community centres and coffee shops, which makes recruitment more difficult to detect and disrupt.

The internet has served as a vehicle for spreading the radical message of a clash of civilisations that pits a monolithic West struggling against Islam since the time of the Crusades, the report says.

This theme particularly resonates with disaffected Muslim youth.

"The 'killer application' of the internet is not so much its use as a broadcast tool but its function as a communications channel that links people in cyberspace, who then meet and can take action in the physical world," said the report.

Appealing to a new generation

The report lists examples of internet-driven radicalisation. This is defined as the process of adopting an extremist belief system, including the willingness to use or support violence to foment social change.

The report says the internet has speeded the radicalisation of young people.

It also found the anonymity of the web can lead to people expressing more violence than they actually feel, with enthusiasm steadily increasing. There is also a primary focus on youth.

"Websites are often flashy and colourful, apparently designed to appeal to a computer savvy generation," said the report.

The report notes a number of strategies have been launched in various countries, including websites for moderate Muslims and orders issued by Muslim leaders denouncing violence.

"Distasteful as this may be to invoke, the power of visuals is profound," the report states.

- AP