Terrorism on the Internet: another Border to Protect one Country’s Sovereignty

"The Internet is a weapon in the hands of our extremist enemies," Senator Joe Lieberman, (I-Conn.) chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, said after the Senate's review of a recent report on how terrorists are using the Internet to spread their radicalism. 

 At the beginning of May this year, the Senate Homeland Security Committee engaged in a deep analysis of how the Internet is being used by terrorist organizations to express their prejudice against the United States. This analysis included reviewing a recent report prepared on this subject, listening to the testimony of several Internet experts and the drafting the United States' response to this practice.

The recent report on terrorism on the Internet reviewed by the Homeland Security Committee of the US Senate revealed that Al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations like "Jihadi" are using the Internet to recruit militants and raise funds for their organizations.  Additionally, these organizations use flashy websites, video games, videos, and music to express their radical ideology, the report showed.  Terrorists are hacking websites and posting training manuals in inner directories where people may not notice them (this practice is called ‘parasiting'); developing violent video games spreading the message that Islam is under attack and inviting to fight in its defense; and making hip-hop and rap music with melodies that call for violence, this report informed. 

One of the Internet experts called to testify on the Senate session was Frank Cilluffo, Director of George Washington University's Homeland Security Policy Institute ("the Institute").  Mr. Ciffuffo testified on the Institute's Internet-Facilitated Radicalization study and said, "we have created this global village -the Internet- without a police department."  In presenting the Institute's study, Mr. Cilluffo revealed that terrorists use, among others, hard-to-intercept communications like ‘dead drop.'  ‘Dead Drop' communications are drafted e-mails stored in accounts where adepts access them and read their rebel message.  No e-mail is sent, thus, no interception may be accomplished.         

The Institute's study also proposed some counter-measures to the problem of terrorism on the Internet and presented examples of other countries' current measures on this issue.  For instance, UK implemented a program called the ‘Radical Middle Way" which aims to undermine the extremist's message of violence as expression of their Islam religion.  The program also encourages dialogue with these extremists groups to encourage communication and lessen violence.   Egypt also implemented a program to counter-attack Jihadists activities in that country.  Likewise, Indonesia first democratic president has implemented programs favoring religion freedom and tolerance.  Jordan Muslim clerics issued fatwa in 2005, a program denouncing all kind of terrorism on the name of the Islam. 

Among the counter measures against Internet terrorism in US proposed by the Institute's study are, (i) developing a compelling counter-narrative with world-wide distribution.  The narrative, the study suggests, should not be confused by the goal of improving the US image.  Instead, it should focus on hope and ‘realistically attainable alternative future' to those that may be seduced by the extremist ideology; (ii) fostering intra -and - cross- cultural dialogue to tie local, national and international communities; (iii) recognizing the need for additional research on behavioral conduct on online radicalization; (iv) denying or disrupting extremists access to the Internet through legal and technical means; and (v ) remedying resource capabilities in the US government.  This means, the government should be capable of speaking, understanding and translating Arabic to foster prevention and response efforts.[1]

Reference:

[1]http://www.ibls.com/internet_law_news_portal_view.aspx?id=1765&s=latestnews