REPORT: CURBING TERRORIST USAGE OF THE INTERNET

Mark Burgess of the World Security Institute has a great op-ed in SECUER on terrorist usage of the Internet. As Burgess writes, current European Union policy on counter-terrorism is purely reactive in nature: criminalizing the possession of terrorist tactical training manuals and cracking down on online incitement to jihad. However, these steps are insufficient to combat the real nature of the problem.

Due to the decentralized nature of the internet, shutting down sites and attempting to log visitors will not stop terrorist exploitation of this resource. Doing so will only drive those sites further underground, where they are less visible to Western intelligence agencies and counter-terrorism researchers. Burgess advocates the usage of counter-intelligence assets to disrupt and divide online terrorists, citing a famous case in which faked Saudi infiltration of a terrorist website caused the online terrorist community great distress. Another helpful suggestion he offers are education campaigns targeted at impressionable youngsters who may be drawn to terrorist propaganda.

Additionally, policymakers fail to see that terrorist usage of the internet isn't merely a matter of open-source intelligence gathering, operational organization, and training--it's a battle of ideas. Terrorist websites are tools used to influence public opinion and recruit. Instead of running away from this fight, why not attack the problem head-on? On this note, Burgess advocates the creation of moderate Muslim online networks. Such a strategy is reminiscent of the Cold War-era backing of left anti-Soviet journals and organizations, and is definitely more effective than the government attempting to do it themselves.

However, too heavy a government hand in the creation of such networks will backfire. No one wants to be seen as a police stooge. The personalities producing content for these websites should have cachet among the younger Muslims more likely to use the Internet--they can't be doddering old clerics. Additionally, those websites should be targeted virally and accessible through social networking sites. Only a true rapid-response capability will be sufficient to compete with the high-tech array of terrorist websites.

Comments

[Arherring]

I cannot remeber when I read it but a great while back there was a story/article/report about scientists/engineers with western education (even teaching at western universities)giving on-line troubleshooting for terrorist cells to help them improve their explosive devices. I don't know if this was just suspected or if there were known indviduals doing this, but it caught my attention. I remember thinking how perfect a target that would be for a 5GW organization to co-opt as it offers an almost perfect vector for manipulation. That is the essential weakness of open-source information, it is only as good as the level of trust you have for it.

[A.E.]

If you ever find that article, let me know.

[Lurch]

It's distressing that governmental bureaucrats faced with an external challenge immediately leap to the idea of control and elimination rather than engaging the challenge in the forum of ideas and defeating it through debate, which is a great teaching tool.

It's great example of how people in government are so eager to create a gulf between them and the citizenry.

[A.E.]

Lurch,

That's a very good point. I think the hardest thing about this new era of conflict is the importance placed on individual initiative, open debate, and open-source. Organizations based on a high degree of structural discipline and controls--such as the government and the military--have a hard time facing up to it. Naturally, their first instinct is to either control or neutralize the problem.

[YT]

A.E., can't figure out the attraction of terrorist cells for these Muslim adolescents livin' in the West. What exactly are the reasons that lead 'em to "martyr" 'emselves? The BS 'bout "they hatin' our freedoms?"