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Military Use of Cyberspace

MEMRI: Islamist Internet forums teach wannabe Muj how to make and use explosives.

Lieberman, via VOA: We shouldn’t let them do that. 

A U.S. Senate panel has released a report concluding that terrorist groups have stepped up their appeals to English-speaking audiences, including those in the United States.  The report, warning that such appeals could foment homegrown terrorism, is urging the U.S. government to do more to isolate and discredit the violent extremist ideology.  VOA’s Deborah Tate reports from Capitol Hill.

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee released the report at a news conference Thursday. 

Senator Joe Lieberman, who calls himself an independent Democrat, is committee chairman:

“Our committee investigation found that terrorists are skillfully using the Internet to spread their propaganda across national borders and cultural barriers, permitting anyone with the inclination and in Internet connection to immerse themselves in the hate-filled messages of radical Islam, to receive training, and weapons and tactics and to build in cyberspace the kind of group support that once required travel to overseas training camps,” he said.

Lieberman said the report’s findings mean that America is vulnerable not just to attacks plotted by terrorists living oceans away, but also to terrorism conceived within U.S. borders from disaffected Americans who may have no operational ties to international organized terrorist groups.

Lieberman said terrorists have become sophisticated in their communications abilities:

“Our report found, for example, that al Qaida and allied violent Islamist organizations, manage a multi-tiered online media operation, consisting of several production units that create content consistent with the core message used to recruit and train terrorists,” he added.

The senator said the content is sent through a clearinghouse, which stamps the material with a seal of authenticity before being sent out digitally to thousands of Web sites around the world.  He said the material may include English subtitles to appeal to Americans of specific ethnic, religious and racial backgrounds.  He quoted an official at the Department of Homeland Security who said terrorists are now making extremist podcasts that can be downloaded to iPods.

Lieberman says the United States lacks a cohesive and comprehensive outreach and communications strategy to confront terrorist ideology and reduce its appeal within the United States.  

“The United States must counter the influence of this ideology in order to deter homegrown attacks like the ones that have already been seen in cities like Madrid, London and Amsterdam,” he said.

Lieberman says Congress and the administration must decide what new laws, programs or tactics should be adopted to combat homegrown terrorism.

Senator Susan Collins, the top Republican on the Senate panel, says communication will be key:

“I want to emphasize that our report concludes that one of the most productive steps that we can take in the short run is improved outreach and communication efforts that would challenge the terrorist message,” she said.  “Our nation must promote more effective outreach to the Muslim-American community and to religious leaders who can reject al-Qaida’s violent message and help form a counter message.”

The Senate panel has conducted six hearings on radical Islamic extremism and homegrown terrorism over the past two years.

The communication thing sounds fine. But it sounds like the jihadis might have a leg up on the asymmetric cyberspace warfare and more aggressive measures may be called for. How about hiring those hackers who like to break into the Pentagon and the phone company, and see if they can’t break into the jihadi sites, distribute some of those bin Laden/goat Photoshop shots with the jihadi stamp of authenticity on them, and also steal their jihadi identities and run up lots of charges at Victoria’s Secret, liquor stores and rib joints on their jihadi credit cards. Also, spam the daylights out of them with honey-baked ham ads. 

Give the friendlies Starfleet uniforms or ID cards on lanyards, navy blue windbreakers that say CYBER OPS in yellow on the back and wrist things to talk into at jihadi crime scenes. Free supermodel and pizza deliveries for the duration. Or maybe just lots of cash, and all the no-holds-barred fun with jihadis they want to have. Whatever they want. Just get it done.

Topics: Internet, al qaeda, hated Crusaders

  Posted by Jules Crittenden at 10:40 pm on Thursday, May 8, 2008

One Response to “Military Use of Cyberspace”

1. The Thunder Run Says:
   May 9th, 2008 at 10:54 am

   Web Reconnaissance for 05/09/2008

   A short recon of what’s out there that might draw your attention, updated throughout the day…so check back often.

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