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• The website www.almijlah.net/vb warned Iraqis shortly before the
election not to vote. Here the attempt was to incite virtual fear in
potential voters.
• The Qala website, in early February 2005, posted a photo of
captured US soldier John Adams, which turned out to be a photo of
a Dragon Model USA toy. 492 This was a failed deception operation,
but it shows how easily the Internet can be used for such activities.
• The Islamtoday website proclaimed the successes of “resistance”
fighters, offered religious guidance, emphasized men’s role in the
world today, and harshly criticized US actions in Iraq. The website
thus served as an agitation and guidance reference.
• In December 2004, www.ansar-alsunnah00.8k.com was used to
post videotapes of the insurgents’ attack on the US army base in
Mosel. Such postings do two things. First they provide a degree of
proof that extremists did actually attack the base. Second, they
demonstrate that the US is unable to stop some attacks.
• Also in December 2004, www.yaislah.org was used to post a
videotape from Osama bin Laden. Such tapes demonstrate that not
only is bin Laden alive, but he is still able to communicate and
provide leadership even when in hiding.
• In early January 2004, the website moradokislam.org posted many
photos that showed violent US actions and Iraqi suffering. Here the
attempt was to gain sympathy for the insurgent cause and to incite
hatred against the US. Like images on many of the sites listed
above, these photos could have been doctored or were entirely
faked. Detailed, high-tech analysis is required before any
conclusions can be drawn. Such analysis isn’t always performed by
the average Iraqi who draws his or her own conclusions.
• Al Qaeda recently stated that it had released a web magazine. The
publication outlined the Sunni Muslim group’s aims, and it called
on Iraqi security forces to “repent” and stop serving the “cross.” 493
In a related event, the US State Department declared in mid-December
2004, that the Hezbollah-associated website al Manar was a terrorist
organization. This prompted al Manar to denounce the US decision as “a
flagrant attack against free media,” an act of “intellectual terrorism,” and “an
492 Yassin Musharbash, “How Islamic Extremists are Turning the Web into
Terror.com,” Spiegel Online, 7 February 2005.
493 Ghaida Ghantous, “Al Qaeda Branch Launches Web Magazine,” Herald Sun, 4
March 2005, downloaded from www.heraldsun.news.com.au
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