July 2008

E-mail threatens terror strike in Indore, Ujjain

Security has been beefed up in Indore and Ujjain following an e-mail threatening about major terrorist strikes in the cities. The e-mail, received by Indore police, warned about major terror strike in the cities on Monday, police said. Police are trying to find out the origin of the e-mail by deploying services of cyber experts. The sender of the mail could not be identified so far. It also carries a cellphone number, but efforts to contact on it proved futile as the call to the number remained unanswered, they added. The mail claimed that major terrorist strike will be carried out in Indore and Ujjain on July 21, specially at the historic Rajbada in Indore……(Indian Express, 20 Jul 08)

On the Internet, a Jihadist Uses Words as Her Weapon

Malika El Aroud, a 48- year-old Belgian, calls herself a female warrior for Al Qaeda.  In a movement that gives women little power, Ms. El Aroud has distinguished herself on the Internet.  Writing in French under the name “Oum Obeyda," she has transformed herself into one of the most prominent Internet jihadists in Europe.  She insists that she does not disseminate instructions on bomb-making and has no intention of taking up arms herself. Rather, she bullies Muslim men to go and fight and rallies women to join the cause.  “It’s not my role to set off bombs - that’s ridiculous," she said in a rare interview. “I have a weapon. It’s to write. It’s to speak out. That’s my jihad. You can do many things with words. Writing is also a bomb."…..(Korea Times, 14 Jul 08)

Radical web of Islam's Terror

…Since Sept. 11, 2001, the threat confronting the West has changed dramatically. The enemy today is not a product of poverty, ignorance or religious brainwashing. The individuals we should fear most haven't been trained in terrorist camps, and they don't answer to Osama bin Laden or Ayman al-Zawahiri. They often do not even adhere to the most austere and dogmatic tenets of radical Islam…Today's new generation of terrorists constitutes the third wave of radicals stirred to battle by the ideology of global jihad ...The first wave to join al-Qaeda was composed of Afghan Arabs who came to Pakistan and Afghanistan to fight the Soviets in the 1980s. They were, contrary to popular belief, largely well educated and from solidly middle-class backgrounds. They were also mature, often in their 30s when they took up arms…The second wave that followed consisted mostly of elite expatriates from the Middle East who went to the West to attend universities. The separation from family, friends and culture led many to feel homesick and marginalized, sentiments that hardened into the seeds of their radicalization. This generation traveled to al-Qaeda's training camps in Afghanistan in the 1990s and were incorporated into al-Qaeda Central…The new, third wave is unlike its predecessors. It consists mostly of would-be terrorists, who, angered by the invasion of Iraq, aspire to join the movement and the men they hail as heroes. But it is nearly impossible for them to link up with al-Qaeda Central, which has been forced underground since 9/11. Instead, they form fluid, informal networks that are self-financed and self-trained. They have no physical headquarters or sanctuary; the tolerant, virtual environment of the Internet offers them a semblance of unity and purpose. Theirs is a scattered, decentralized social structure -- a leaderless jihad……(National Post, 8 Jul 08)

Saudi Arabia: TV shows 4 recalling online route to terror

Four former militant supporters confessed on Saudi state television on Tuesday night how they organized the Internet operations of Al-Qaeda's campaign against the Saudi government. They were identified as Abu Azzam Al-Ansari, Abu Omar, Abu Akram and Umm Osama. Their confessions point to the danger posed to some 8 million Saudis who are Internet users, according to industry statistics. The number of jihadist websites has sharply risen from just 12 in 1998 to at least 5,000 today. Abu Azzam and Umm Osama both Egyptian explained how they set up the online magazines Sada Al-Jihad and Al-Khansaa promoting jihadist thought and carrying news of the militant campaign. Ansari was arrested last year, Asharq A-Awsat newspaper said on Wednesday, but Sada Al-Jihad has continued publishing. It was not clear when Umm Osama was arrested……(Zawya, 3 Jul 08)

Jihad Detainees Reveal Mass Recruitment Via Internet

Confessions of several detainees in Saudi Arabia are providing an indication of the extant Jihadi websites are impacting on potential Al-Qa’ida recruits. Detained terror suspects explained in televised interviews broadcast on Saudi television on Tuesday how Al-Qa’ida was using the Internet as a tool to recruit new members and propagate radical ideology.  Detainees said they were inspired by Jihadi films and statements by Al-Qa’ida chief Osama Bin Laden and other leading Jihad figures, which were posted on the Internet. The interviewees included the Egyptian Abu ‘Azzam Al-An’sari, who is editor of the online ‘Sada Al-Jihad (Jihad Echo) magazine, and Um Usama, editor of the Al-Khansa magazine.  Those interviewed said the Internet was their preferred means of recruiting people and propagating their ideas, because it provided relative security, especially since none of the participants in the forums know each others’ identities…..(Media Line, 2 Jul 08)

Al-Qaeda draws new recruits via Internet

Al-Qaeda is using the Internet to recruit vulnerable young people to its terrorist network, according to a program aired on Saudi Arabian TV late on Tuesday. Umm Osama, the founder of al-Qaeda's first women-only website, al-Khansa, joined several others on the program to discuss how they renounced jihadist ideology.  Among those who sought a response to this question was an imam from the Medina mosque, Saleh Ibn Awad al-Mudamsi, and the father of a young al-Qaeda suspect held in an Iraqi prison. The program entitled, 'Our Problems' began with an introduction from the host who said: "There are more than 5,000 jihadist Internet sites."…..(AKI, 2 Jul 08)

The new frontier for terrorists

Cyberspace is a virtual place that has become as ­important as physical space for social, economic and ­political ­activities. Many nations in the world are ­increasing their ­dependency on ­cyberspace when they use information and ­communications technology (ICT).  This dependency places ­countries in a precarious position because cyberspace is borderless and vulnerable to cyberattacks. Individuals have the ability and capability to cause damage to a nation from afar, through ­cyberspace. Merely accessing a single personal ­computer through an Internet connection could cause as much damage as using a ­traditional weapon, such as a bomb. Cyberattacks are also ­attractive because it is a cheap weapon in ­relation to the costs of developing, maintaining and using advanced military hardware……(Star, 1 Jul 08)

Al-Qaeda 'turncoats' to go on Saudi TV

The female founder of al-Qaeda's first women-only website is among several 'turncoats' from the terror network who are expected to publicly recant jihadism on Saudi TV. The al-Khansa women's website founder, Umm Osama, and other arrested al-Qaeda suspects will say they have renounced jihadist ideology in a series of interviews to be aired late on Tuesday, pan-Arab daily al-Hayat reports. An interview with Umm Osama's compatriot, the Egyptian-born Abu Azza al-Ansari will also be aired, al-Hayat said. Al-Ansari was the director of the al-Qaeda linked 'Echoes of Jihad' online magazine……(AKI, 1 Jul 08)

June 2008

Al-Qaeda's Growing Online Offensive

Early this year, a religious radical calling himself Abu Hamza had a question for the deputy leader of al-Qaeda regarding the Egyptian secret police. "Are they committing unbelief?" he tapped on his keyboard. "And is it permissible to kill them?"  A few weeks later, an answer came from a man with a $25 million bounty on his head, Ayman al-Zawahiri. Killing the police is justified, Zawahiri replied, because they are "infidels, each and every one of them."  The exchange was part of the latest propaganda coup orchestrated by al-Qaeda: an online chat between Zawahiri -- one of the world's most wanted fugitives -- and hundreds of curious people around the globe. After announcing in a Web forum in December that he would entertain questions on virtually any topic, Zawahiri received 1,888 written queries from journalists and the public. He patiently answered about one-fifth of them, even hostile postings that condemned al-Qaeda for harming innocents and perverting Islam.  The war against terrorism has evolved into a war of ideas and propaganda, a struggle for hearts and minds fought on television and the Internet. On those fronts, al-Qaeda's voice has grown much more powerful in recent years. Taking advantage of new technology and mistakes by its adversaries, al-Qaeda's core leadership has built an increasingly prolific propaganda operation, enabling it to communicate constantly, securely and in numerous languages with loyalists and potential recruits worldwide…"It is clear that they are under no real pressure," said Diaa Rashwan, an analyst at al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies in Cairo. "They are very relaxed. They have plenty of time to go to their film archives and edit their productions."…..(Washington Post, 24 Jun 08)

Australian woman 'posts call to jihad'

Embedded Video

Young Australian woman says she is ready to join the army of Islam in a violent jihad with a declaration of war on YouTube.  Federal authorities are now investigating the video posting, in which she claims to be backed by firebrand cleric Sheik Haron……(Herald Sun, 20 Jun 08)

Woman in terror internet footage

Federal authorities will investigate a suspected hoax internet video of a young Australian woman threatening jihad. The woman, who gives her name as Zahra, says she was inspired by Sheik Haron and will join the army of Islam jihad in a "war against oppression".  Sheik Haron, a self-proclaimed Muslim scholar, has been linked to previous scandals and outbursts, including sending letters to parents of Australian soldiers killed in Afghanistan…..(Herald Sun, 20 Jun 08)

Internet Ties Link U.S. Terror Cells

An ex-commando, working undercover for the FBI, took photographs as aspiring terrorists plotted to carry out attacks against U.S. soldiers in Iraq. They trained with weapons and learned how to make suicide vests. Only this didn't happen in Iraq, Afghanistan, or Pakistan. This training played out in Toledo, Ohio, and involved three Americans drawn to the call of Jihad, CBS News justice and homeland security correspondent Bob Orr reports. While these radicals have now been convicted, CBS News has learned e-mails and phone calls connect the Toledo cell to terror suspects in at least three other North American cities - and to a notorious al Qaeda operative. "Its important that we just don't look at cells in isolation, we look at their connectivity to each other," said CBS News homeland security consultant Paul Kurtz. Here's how this radical web was spun:

  -The Toledo trio was in frequent contact with two Chicago men who are now charged with plotting attacks of their own.
  -Those Chicago suspects in turn communicated with two college-age students in Atlanta, sending e-mails asking them to "come and see our preparation..." for violent Jihad.
  -That preparation, the government charges, was conspiring with a Canadian terror cell to bomb Toronto landmarks. And it all connected through the Internet, and to a shadowy al Qaeda webmaster known as Irhabi 007.
When police raided 007's London flat in 2005 they found among the evidence a video showing security at the U.S. Capitol, fuel tanks and other targets in Washington. The video was shot by the Atlanta suspects…..(CBS13, 18 Jun 08)

Islamic Jihad’s cyber-war brigades

The Palestinian Islamist movement, Islamic Jihad, has added a cyber-war division to its armed Al-Quds Brigades.
It was a response to years of attacks by Israeli hackers, and according to the Brigades spokesman, Abu Hamza, it equals the playing field in cyber-space. "The Israeli's have worked very hard the past few years on monitoring all the Palestinian websites, especially those of Islamic Jihad and Al-Quds Brigades," Hamza told MENASSAT.
"They (Israeli hackers) hacked these websites and erased them from the electronic boards or even added indecent pictures to them," he said…..(Menassat, 17 Jun 08)

France blocks online child porn, terrorism, racism

France is joining at least five other countries where Internet service providers block access to child pornography and to content linked to terrorism and racial hatred, the French interior minister said Tuesday. The agreement will take effect in September. A blacklist will be compiled based on input from Internet users who flag sites containing offensive material, Interior Minister Michel Alliot-Marie said. All service providers in France have agreed to block offending sites…..(AP, 10 Jun 08)

Two in court on terrorism charges and running a terrorist website

Two men are appearing in court charged with supporting terrorism overseas.  Musse Said Yusuf, 31, of Higgs Close, Leicester, is accused of running a website which published terrorist literature, and of owning instructional videos for the purpose of terrorism.  Ahmed Said Mohammed, 32, of Southcott House, Devons Road, Poplar, east London, is charged with having money for the purpose of terrorism……(UK Press, 10 Jun 08)

Online Social Networks Expand a Sense of Community Among Members and Supporters of Extremist Groups

Hizbollah has a page on Facebook. So does Tanzeem-e-Islami and the Muslim Brotherhood. Hizb ut-Tahrir has at least three pages on Facebook and another four on Orkut—And those are just the official pages. There are many more pages to browse that were assembled as paeans by devotees of these Islamist groups and others.

Facebook, Orkut, and other online social networks, are designed to provide a way for people to maintain existing relationships and to make new relationships with others who share common interests in one tidy cyber environment. The social networks promote a sense of belonging that might not be available in the physical world. This is particularly true for members or sympathizers of Islamist groups who live in countries where participation is banned, such as in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Egypt, and Jordan. Through the social networks they can join communities specific to their interests or affiliations and befriend others who share their views……(Counterterrorism Blog, 10 Jun 08)

Muslim Extremist's Web Site Stirs Mixed Emotions in Charlotte, N.C.

In a quiet, upscale neighborhood in Charlotte, N.C., rows of custom-style homes and neatly landscaped lawns represent the American dream. But one local resident has shattered that image, calling for the death of American troops in Iraq and supporting Al Qaeda through his Web site, which he reportedly runs from his parents' home. Samir Khan is the man behind Revolution.Muslimpad.com — a radical Islamic site that praises Usama bin Laden and asks for Allah to “curse more American soldiers.” The site posts videos of U.S. Humvees being blown up by roadside bombs in Iraq. It aims to inspire young Muslims to wage war against the West……(Fox, 6 Jun 08)  Video: Samir Khan

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