Ask a Terrorist
A 9/11 mastermind invites journalists for an online chat? Behind Al Qaeda's latest publicity tactic.
Behold the latest phase in Al Qaeda's media strategy. The shadowy terror network is offering up Ayman al-Zawahiri, to any journalists with questions for its No. 2 man. The invitation, issued by the group's media arm, As-Sahaab (The Cloud), came at the end of a 90-minute video message from Zawahiri, posted on one of the group's various militant Web pages.
In the statement, released Dec. 16, Zawahiri invites "individuals, agencies and all media" to submit written questions via one of As-Sahaab's Web forums. He calls upon the "brothers" who supervise the site "to collect the questions and transmit them without alteration, whether it is coming from someone who agrees or disagrees."
This is the first time Al Qaeda has made a formal call to journalists, although it will not be the first time the radical Islamic group has granted interviews to Western media. Counterterrorism experts believe that the posting is genuine and that it is part of Al Qaeda's evolving tactics to use the Web as part of its propaganda arsenal. "This is a continuation of the efforts by Al Qaeda's senior leadership to push themselves forward in the public viewpoint," says Maj. Reid Sawyer, editor of "Terrorism and Counterterrorism" and a lecturer of terrorism studies at Columbia University.
Recent messages from both Osama bin Laden and Zawahiri have specifically called on Americans to embrace Islam and turn against the governments they deem to be enemies of Islam. Counterterrorism analysts say the offer of an online exchange with Zawahiri is part of its broader emphasis on connecting with new audiences. "While Al Qaeda has its own media institutions, it well understands that Western audiences don't necessarily tune into those sources of information," says Sawyer. "Because of that, this allows them to reach Western audiences and it gives them some degree of legitimacy in terms of who the interviews are conducted with."
From Hizbullah to Al Qaeda, Islamic terrorist groups have commonly embraced the newest forms of communications technology to boost their access to potential recruits and spread their message to the largest possible constituency. In October 2005, Al Qaeda even used one of its Web sites to post a help-wanted ad for a job as a communications specialist. The job vacancy called for someone with exceptional English and Arabic skills able to collect and disseminate news on Iraq, including audio and video clips.
The strategy guiding jihadist Internet use was demonstrated when Al Qaeda's Saudi Arabian network, Muaskar al-Battar (Camp of the Sword), launched its Web site in January 2004. Its introductory message read: "In order to join the greatest training camps, you don't have to travel to other lands. Alone, in your home or with a group of your brothers, you too can begin to execute the training program. You can all join the Al-Battar Training Camps." Jarret Brachman, a former CIA analyst now in the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point describes this as playing to the YouTube generation. "It completely fits Al Qaeda's communications strategy over the past two years, which is how to get people more invested in the movement."
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Member Comments
Posted By: American_Patriot @ 01/16/2008 2:41:28 AM
Comment: Faminchin, you call what the Iraqis are experiencing "Freedom"? You obviously have no idea what freedon s seeing that you have never experienced the lack thereof. American arrogance is wha has caused mot of the anti-ameicanism so profound across the world,Western europea and South American countries included. The sad thing is that Americans have not suffered the pain of war on our own lands since the Civil War. Americans just jam their fat asses into Suvs and gripe about the prce of gas. Some people act like 9/11 was the worst thing that ould have happened to America, and although tragic, it was not near the caliber of horror that has gone on in places like Darfur, Bosinia, and Iraq. If we were the occupied country things would be a whole lot different. Its so disgusting how people who are figting against the ocupation of their land by foreign entities are called insurgents or by their fellow country men patriots. They are doing what any proud patriot of any nation would do. The right winged fanatic Americans jusify their mass murder by makingi some kind of crusade. I used to be proud of this counry, but Bush and his cowboy crusaders have left little to envy. I am ashamed of America's moden Colonization of foreign lands.They only procede to villanze muslims so that no one contests the America brand of terrorism. So much for the land of the free and the home of the brave. I have lost all faith in our leaders and fellow citizens who breed hate in order to make material gains. What makes American soldiers' lives more valualble than the soldiers of other nations or Christans lives more valuable that those of other faiths? Wake up and smell the truth people, what we are doing is wrong, and we have no one to blame but ourselves for our ignorant complacency.
Posted By: shoegen @ 12/30/2007 1:26:47 AM
Comment: Al Qaeda is succeding in one thing and that is highlighting all the ugliness of a religeon that claims to be a beautiful gift to the world. HUH. If we could see into the hearts of men we would see an evil darkness in these so-called devout followers of Mohammed and he would be looking back at us like a demon who wants only to destroy the good and have the world flow with the blood of all the non-believers.
Posted By: faminchin @ 12/29/2007 11:23:10 PM
Comment: To attempt to compare these cowardly terrorist that hide behind women and children to the United State Military is a complete joke! You have one group that blows themselves up, killing anybody and everybody around them, and you have the US Military that does everything in their power to avoid killing while upholding the peace and hunting down these savages. You sound like a Democratic Congressman! Why do you hate these brave men and women who volunteered to serve in the military? What is so hard about giving them the credit they deserve. Remember how people like yourself said we could never invade Iraq, the streets would run with blood? Yet in about a week our troops walked freely down the streets of Bagdad.
The American troops are in Iraq, building hospitals, schools, homes...repairing the instructure that the cowardly terrorist continue to destroy....and you try to compare the two........your warpped!