TXT4H@TE
That terrorist and extremist groups are often heavy users of the latest communications technologies is a well-known fact. Not surprisingly, there is also a growing body of research examining how exactly these technologies are being used and what we could do about it; several reports published in the last few weeks are worth mentioning here, ...
That terrorist and extremist groups are often heavy users of the latest communications technologies is a well-known fact. Not surprisingly, there is also a growing body of research examining how exactly these technologies are being used and what we could do about it; several reports published in the last few weeks are worth mentioning here, especially Countering Online Radicalisation report by the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence and "Countering Internet Radicalisation in Southeast Asia" by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (both of them paint a rather gloomy picture). Today BBC News featured this interesting piece on how members of Somalia's Islamist insurgent group al-Shabab ("The lads") are using text messaging and prepaid phone cards to communicate with one another:
That terrorist and extremist groups are often heavy users of the latest communications technologies is a well-known fact. Not surprisingly, there is also a growing body of research examining how exactly these technologies are being used and what we could do about it; several reports published in the last few weeks are worth mentioning here, especially Countering Online Radicalisation report by the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence and "Countering Internet Radicalisation in Southeast Asia" by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (both of them paint a rather gloomy picture). Today BBC News featured this interesting piece on how members of Somalia’s Islamist insurgent group al-Shabab ("The lads") are using text messaging and prepaid phone cards to communicate with one another:
The leaders of the group – which has taken over swathes of central and southern Somalia – are unknown to their subordinates. The middle lieutenants get their orders through text messages, or phone calls from recognised voices, giving them proof the instructions are coming from the right person. The leaders of al-Shabab are called "emirs" and they do not usually come from the region they administer. The emirs are said to use text messaging systems daily. The mid-ranking emirs and foot soldiers are given prepaid phone cards to carry out their day-to-day operations. Text messages are also used to threaten those al-Shabab believes oppose them.
Most curiously,the strong embrace of technology by "the Lads" still doesn’t preclude the group from banning any forms of public entertainment. Perhaps, they operators still haven’t discovered more subversive uses for text messaging.
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