al-Qaeda websites are wiped out

[Jack]

From the TimesOnLine website:

July 31, 2005 Finger points to British intelligence as al-Qaeda websites are wiped out Over the past fortnight Israeli intelligence agents have noticed something distinctly odd happening on the internet. One by one, Al-Qaeda’s affiliated websites have vanished until only a handful remain, write Uzi Mahnaimi and Alex Pell. Someone has cut the line of communication between the spiritual leaders of international terrorism and their supporters. Since 9/11 the websites have been the main links to disseminate propaganda and information. The Israelis detect the hand of British intelligence, determined to torpedo the websites after the London attacks of July 7. The web has become the new battleground of terrorism, permitting a freedom of communication denied to such organisations as the IRA a couple of decades ago. One global jihad site terminated recently was an inflammatory Pakistani site, www.mojihedun.com, in which a section entitled How to Strike a European City gave full technical instructions. Tens of similar sites, some offering detailed information on how to build and use biological weapons, have also been shut down. However, Islamic sites believed to be “moderate”, remain. One belongs to the London-based Syrian cleric Abu Basir al-Tartusi, whose www.abubaseer.bizland.com remained operative after he condemned the London bombings. However, the scales remain weighted in favour of global jihad, the first virtual terror organisation. For all the vaunted spying advances such as tracking mobile phones and isolating key phrases in telephone conversations, experts believe current technologies actually play into the hands of those who would harm us.

It seems to me that having them on-line to monitor would be better than forcing them into alternative means of communication. I have to wonder if this isn't the work of some hacker rather than the intelligence services.

[bishop]

they aren't planning on these sites though, so there is little to monitor.. this is justified action to prevent them from communicating their murderous ideology.

[Dirty Name]

If an intelligence organization is behind such a move, chances are it was a well thought out operation. They wouldn't willingly give up a valuable source of intelligence just to stymie radical hate speech.

I think we armchair quarterbacks don't give the intel services and leadership nearly enough credit. The truth is that they are armed with vastly more information than we in the public sector are privvy to.

[PatrickHenry]

Quote by: Dirty Name The truth is that they are armed with vastly more information than we in the public sector are privvy to.

And I get labeled a conspiracy theorist.

[Milton Bradley]

Quote by: Dirty Name The truth is that they are armed with vastly more information than we in the public sector are privvy to.

Quote by: PatrickHenry And I get labeled a conspiracy theorist.

Oh, but Patrick, you're so naive, after all, its in the name of National Security. :rolleyes:


John Judge just said something along these lines on C-SPAN. Not a quote, but a summation.

Quote by: John Judge "As long as the truth is a commodity of the National Security Industry, our discussions ( the civilians, We the People) will devolve into speculative discussions about what the real truth is, precisely because it is being kept from us."

In a true representative government, transparency is critical to policy making. How could the constituency possibly know good policy without the facts? How could we possibly elect somebody to represent us, and our opinion, if we are not informed enough to form an opinion based on accurate information?

[Rainbow]

Quote by: Isherwood It seems to me that having them on-line to monitor would be better than forcing them into alternative means of communication. I have to wonder if this isn't the work of some hacker rather than the intelligence services.

It encouraged others to join Osama (and alike). That is why (most likely) intelligence-related sources took it out.

On the other hand, your concept of monitoring these groups would be more beneficial for intelligence sources, but as you see there are no means to comply with it. Even a "cutting-edge" technology is not much of power to get results, because web-sites have different hosts located in different countries.

[GodBlessAmerica]

I think out hackers have been wiping them out.

The less they can reach out to others, the better.