Transcript Terrorist use of Internet : the virtual battlefields

Terrorist use of Internet :
the virtual battlefields ?
Contents and evolution of the use of
Internet by extremist networks
Different use of the Internet (1)
Spreading propaganda material (messages to
the Umma, reviews : Al Somoud etc.)
Sending messages to the ennemy
(communiqués) and challenging him (by sending
videos of hostages e.g.)
Zone for proselytism and « horizontal »
communication
Different use of the Internet (2)
A remote « university of terrorism »
(counter-interview & counter-surveillance techniques,
IED’s handbook etc.)
Means of communication for jihadi
members (« vertical communication »)
Access to sensitive information (e.g.
cartography by Google Earth etc.) in order to
plan terrorist operations
Different aspects of Internet
Islamist Internet sites (ansar al haqq, minbarsos, al mourabitoun etc.) as well as non
specifically islamist web sites
Chat rooms and islamist fora with
different levels of confidentiality (from low
to high level of security : al hesbah, al ekhlaas etc.)
Use of encryption (« moudjahideen secret 1 &
2 »)
Who are the activists on Internet
(1)
Terrorists networks, through their
« Emirs » and official spokemen
- Abdelmalek DROUKDAL & Abou Mohamed
Salah for Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb
- Oussama BEN LADEN, Ayman AL ZAWAHIRI &
Abou Yahya Al Libi for Al Qaeda
- Abou Omar AL BAGDADI & Abou Hamza AL
MOUJAHIR for Islamic State in Irak etc.
Activists on the Internet (2)
Cheikhs
- Fatwas
- Advice to the muslim community on
religious texts and islamic law (Chaaria)
Activists on the Internet (3)
Islamic media groups :
As-Sahab, Global Islamic Media Front (GIMF), Al
Furqan Media, Al Ansar Media etc.
Translation
Film production & editing
Broadcasting
Activists on the Internet (4)
Web users with extremist views
- On-line discussions on « jihad related
matters »
- Relay for propaganda
propaganda material etc.)
(e.g translation of
Is Internet a vector for
radicalisation ?
Internet : one facilitation tool for
radicalisation among the global process of
radicalisation
The crucial role of jihadi websites (links and
the feeling of « belonging to a community »)
Islamic websites : a narrow one-sided
point of view (the « information bubble » )
Evolution of extremist
propaganda
Increasing number of communiqués,
videos and audios posted
Improvement in the production and
editing of videos and propaganda material
Evolution of the message in itself (from a
strong religious focus to more political and
« environmental » messages)
Counter-measures
Towards a common European legislation?
July 1881 law and anti-terrorist act of
Sept. 1986 : « public incitation to commit
terrorist acts… »
Law of the 21st of June 2004 aimed at
Internet : « communication to the public by
electronic means… »
Are counter propaganda efforts
over the Internet possible ?
Radicalisation factors not all grounded in
the religious field
Motivation of extremists can be more
« revolutionary » than strictly related to
religion
Counter-radicalisation methods in
Western countries : what legitimacy ?
Counter-propaganda
Issues :
- The choice of religious texts
- Understanting all the aspects of the doctrine
- What do « defensive jihad », « offensive jihad »,
« excommunication » mean in our modern societies ?
- Difficulties to counter-attack on extremism
without attacking faith itself
Cyberterrorism : myth or reality
A definition :
« to destabilize a country by trying to paralyse
or disrupt parts of its critical infrastructures in
a direct cyber-attack (e.g denial of services,
viruses) or by exploiting its vulnerabilities (e.g
wireless technology etc.) »
Cyberterrorism (2)
Objectives :
- vital national networks such as
water supplies, electricity networks or
communication means …
Cyberterrorism (3)
Need of a « long-term strategy » in order to
identify targets and their vulnerabilities
The success of this kind of cyber-attacks
may be uncertain and the impact on the
population less important than the one of
a more « conventional » terrorist attack (like
bombings in urban transportation systems e.g)
Conclusion
Al Qaeda and affiliated groups follow
the evolution of the Internet and
are using it in a quite efficient manner
Security services must be vigilant and
not underestimate the capabilities
of terrorist networks in this matter