Iraqi Insurgent Media: War of Images and Ideas

[Ken White]

with Halliburtons total capability in force support?

You want to shut down sites that can be monitored and force a more discrete communications mode that could be far harder to identify, much less monitor? O-kayyyy.

[marct]

Hi Armchairguy,

Originally Posted by Armchairguy

In the war of ideas the USA needs to gain back some credibility.

Totally agree. The problem, however, is that this relies on American politicians and, ultimately, on the American public standing up to those politicians and saying "a pox on both your parties". It also relies on promulgating a set of philosophical principles and then applying hem in action. You've got the first (the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence come to mind), but the second is sorely lacking in the political and bureaucratic spheres.

Originally Posted by Armchairguy

On a slightly different tack, why aren't the wizards of computer warfare inside the military actively attacking jihadist web sites and media outlets? If an ISP gets in the way..tough luck. They should turf the Jihadists on their own or they have shown themselves to be part of the problem.

Two reasons. First, they are very useful for monitoring IO trends and tracking interest levels. Second, not all of he ISPs are in the US and an attack on an ISP could be considered an act of war.

As for showing themselves to be part of the problem, this isn't quite true. The offer by MEMRI is an attempt to help the ISPs identify sites that are problematic, something that many ISPs have a great deal of difficulty with.

Marc

[Armchairguy]

Hi MarcT and Ken White.

I see your points. I guess we would be ruining one of our own intelligence assets. Another idea might be to make our own pseudo jihadist sites filling the areas seen by potential recruits with divisive information that makes the jihadists look stupid and fractured?

Another idea slightly off topic. Given the digital technology of Hollywood I wonder if we have enough video from AQ spokesmen to make phony AQ videos. It might be nice to see the faithful confused with the messages being sent out by their leadership. Might even be able to cause some friction in the ranks.

[tequila]

Iraqi insurgent media campaign targets American audiences - Jamestown Foundation, 16 Oct.

Since the September 11 attacks, the internet has emerged as a pillar of radical Islamist propaganda efforts against the United States by al-Qaeda and other groups. Extremist websites and chat forums provide radicals and sympathizers with moral and theological justification for acts of violence and terrorism, acts framed as legitimate self-defense against what is widely perceived as a U.S.-led campaign against Islam. The internet is also a platform for disseminating tactical, operational and strategic expertise, to include instructions on constructing explosives, analyses of battlefield lessons learned and discussions on targeting selection. Perhaps most importantly, the internet enables like-minded militants to associate and communicate anonymously in cyber social networks. This process reinforces their sense of purpose and duty and encourages solidarity with the greater cause. Up until recently, however, the overwhelming majority of extremist websites catered to Arabs and the Arabic-speaking Muslim community, with only a limited number of websites providing modest sections in English and other languages. This is no longer the case.

Led by the Islamic Army in Iraq, a host of English-language websites linked to Iraqi Sunni insurgent groups are on the forefront of efforts by militants to reach beyond their traditional support base and target foreign audiences, namely the American public, by providing English mirrors of their Arabic websites. The Islamic Army in Iraq is joined in this campaign by the Mujahideen Army, Ansar al-Sunnah, the al-Fataheen Army, the Islamic Front for Iraqi Resistance and the Islamic Resistance Movement in Iraq (HAMAS). These groups operate under the auspices of the Reformation and Jihad Front, an insurgent umbrella group that has been critical of al-Qaeda-linked militants in Iraq, especially the Islamic State in Iraq (http://iaisite-eng.org ; http://www.reformandjihadfront.org) ...

[goesh]

I like armchairguy's idea of psuedo jihadist sites - heap mockery, disdain and laughter upon them as well as spreading divisive info

[SethB]

YouTube Video.

I was searching for this thread and I came across the presentation on YouTube. I've added this as a resource. My apologies for the necro post.