Al Qaeda Claims Its Space On The Web

(CBS)  The internet has long been an al Qaeda stronghold - a center for raising money and spreading propaganda. A record 97 messages were posted in 2007.

But now, the cyber world has also largely replaced conventional training camps and has become the primary location where Islamic radicals are recruited, trained and sent on their way to carry out attacks.

CBS News correspondent Bob Orr spoke to Erich Marquardt, senior editor at West Point's Combating Terrorism Center and asked him if he would characterize the internet as a meeting place for would-be terrorists.

"Correct," Marquardt agreed, "Hence the term "al Qaeda's 'My Space'."

The Combating Terrorism Center published a report on Thursday claiming radical websites "have evolved into a disturbing MySpace-like social-networking hub for...extremists...intent on becoming the next generation of terrorists, hijackers and even suicide bombers."

"They put vast amounts of literature on these websites," Marquardt said, "texts justifying attacks through Islam, military training tactics, bomb-making skills - all of this, or much of this, has gone online."

Ali Al-Ahmed tracks terrorist websites for CBS News. He says many are one-stop shops for aspiring suicide bombers.

"They talk to you and they befriend you and they recruit you into becoming a member of al Qaeda," Al-Ahmed explained.

"So I could go in and I could find somebody to tell me about the organization?" Orr asked.

"Absolutely," said Al-Ahmed.

"Train me on how to do certain attacks?"

Again, Al-Ahmed nodded, "Yes."

"And then maybe give me directions on where I should go?"

"Absolutely," Al-Ahmed agreed.

And there is no shortage of interest, Orr reports. Pro al Qaeda internet sites have recorded millions of hits from potential recruits, called to Jihad on the World Wide Web.

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Listen to Larry Magid's Podcast about how Britain is tackling the online terror threat.

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[downsteamjim]

To Sieg Heil needs a McVet: Your hate level today is high even for you.

To CBS_Oliver: I bet you support efforts to limit free speech with the Fairness to Hopeless Liberals Doctrine.

To SKYK: Do the impossible, cite your source.

[pilgrimsway-2009]

Does anyone know if Obama is pro life? What I read is He supports abortion right up to the head of the baby coming out. That Rick Warren supports him as well? I am beginning to see a paradox in my conscious.

[ajaxtheleast]

NPR

Maqtada El Sadar: Alerts militia, too many rotten
Sunnis in the police. Prepare for possible end-
of-cease-fire fun time.

[pilgrimsway-2009]

Obama quote
Some of this is already beginning to happen. Pastors, friends of mine like Rick Warren and T.D. Jakes are wielding their enormous influences to confront AIDS, Third World debt relief, and the genocide in Darfur. Religious thinkers and activists like our good friend
Jim Wallis and Tony Campolo are lifting up the Biblical injunction to help the poor as a means of mobilizing Christians against budget cuts to social programs and growing inequality.
And by the way, we need Christians on Capitol Hill, Jews on Capitol Hill and Muslims on Capitol Hill talking about the estate tax. When you''ve got an estate tax debate that proposes a trillion dollars being taken out of social programs to go to a handful of folks who don''t need and weren''t even asking for it, you know that we need an injection of morality in our political debate.

This is the truth that we should read.
Obama in 08!

[kaviz]

Do you think visitors to these websites get harassed by pop-up adds like we do and what they might be. Such as ''Osamas 1000 recipes for sand cookbook'' or ''Tubins for Less''- located at a building near you thats still standing''

[mcvet]

obama/muslim.asp


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by pilgrimsway at 09:45 AM : Jan 19, 2008
+ report abuse

Can you read?? So many of you Gapped Tooth Bigots can''t. Anyway IF you can read please get a copy of the Constitution and READ IT. This is an American Citizen, an elected Representative of the PEOPLE and YOU are doing nothing but attempting to tar him with YOUR bigotry... It''s disgusting and beyond belief taken where WE the PEOPLE came from. LOL It''s hard to believe people like you can actually get through a day without hurting yourself or someone else. Sieg Heil Bush!! I''ve seen DIRT smarter than this low life!!

[cbs_oliver]

It is too bad that Bob Orr and several others of the CBS news team - especially those covering security matters - appear to be just spokespeople for the government organizations and military business interests they cover.

They don''t report other views.

Why doesn''t CBS just ask for a direct feed? I''m sure there really isn''t much rewriting anyway.

[cbs_oliver]

This article is not an accident.

It futhers the effort to establish laws like Rep. Jane Harman''s bill H.R. 1955 which sets up a new commission and a new basis for controlling and criminalizing discussions like these based on politically and religiously based judgements of the intent of the posters.

Jane Harman''s prepared statement for H.R. 1955''s related House Subcommittee on Intelligence, Information Sharing, and Terrorism Risk Assessment hearing in November was entitled "Using the Web as a Weapon: the Internet as a Tool for Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism." The only home grown terrorists she mentioned were Muslims and one Muslim supporting Jew. No Nazis, no KKK, no Mafia, no gangs - Just Muslims and Jews.

The perception of H.R. 1955 is so bad that Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security Bennie Thompson actually had to post a fact sheet in December arguing, among other hilarious things, that the resolution "does not legislate thought or protected political expression and free speech. There are no provisions seeking to change the criminal code or set up a ''Big Brother'' regime to put Americans under surveillance."

H.R. 1955 passed the House - mention Muslims and Terrorists and you can pass a bill in the House authorizing almost anything - even torture.

It now goes to the Senate.

[pilgrimsway-2009]

Sorry for my comments.
Do not go to this address its full of lies

http://www.debbieschlussel.com/archives/2006/12/barack_hussein.html

[pilgrimsway-2009]

Sorry for my comments. Its what I read at.
Do not go to this address its full of lies.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/
obama/muslim.asp