[extropy-chat] FWD (SK) Kristof: Terrorists in Cyberspace

[Dirk Bruere]

On 12/23/05, Terry W. Colvin <fortean1 at mindspring.com> wrote:
>
> A crucial first step in fighting terrorism is to patrol cyberspace
>
> much more aggressively. Islamic extremists run rings around us on the Web.
>
> http://select.nytimes.com/2005/12/20/opinion/20kristof.html
>
> The New York Times
> December 20, 2005
> Terrorists in Cyberspace
> By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF
>
> Until you see a video of Iraqi insurgents taking a terrified, hogtied man
> and sawing off his head with a butcher knife, you don't know what
> "blood-curdling" truly means.


Seen it, and not been particularly impressed.
Hollywood does it better.

Yet the jihadis themselves release these "beheading videos" on the
> Internet as part of their booming propaganda machine, and they are
> wrenching not only for their brutality but also because they underscore
> the insurgents' increasing technological edge. If there's any area where
> we should have the supreme advantage fighting terrorism, it's the Internet
> - yet Islamic extremists sometimes run rings around us in cyberspace,
> using it to recruit and train terrorists and to communicate with each
> other in amazingly sophisticated ways.


Er... amazingly obvious ways.

When insurgents stage an attack these days, they sometimes film it from
> several angles so as to make better propaganda, which they then distribute
> on jihadi Web sites and on DVD's. Aside from promotional videos like
> those, there are the how-to variety, like one with step-by-step
> instructions for making a suicide vest. At the end, the filmmakers made a
> makeshift bus and put the vest on a mannequin to blow it up.


Watched some of those videos, and they are quite well made.
I don't see why we should be suprised that our enemies have competent people
in their ranks.
If someone wants to make a really good bomb most of the detailed info is
archived on alt.engr.explosives.

Anyway, if anyone is curious take a look at www.ogrish.com

Dirk
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