Following the arrest of three Austrian individuals accused of making jihadist statements on the Internet in September, authorities are now attributing the facilitation of these postings to the Global Islamic Media Front (GIMF). GIMF is group that translates al-Qaida propaganda into German and facilitates communication via message boards and videos between al-Qaida leaders and their Western European counterparts. The Web site allowed followers in countries like Austria and Germany to follow al-Qaida activities live and be in constant contact with al-Qaida leaders.

Officials are referring to this monitoring process as following radicalism in "real-time". By keeping a close eye on email traffic, Internet usage and message board posts, authorities were able to turn the Internet from a powerful jihadist tool into a dangerous trap for those seeking to use it for harm. Additionally, opponents of al-Qaida in the US and in Europe have protested in great numbers to the service providers and publishing engines that host these sites, and as a result many have been blocked or removed.

Technology has been of great assistance to al-Qaida and its followers, but fortunately counterterrorism officials across the world have also been able to use it their advantage to track down those who would take their dangerous rhetoric to the next level by facilitating attacks. This tactic will prove to be instrumental in the future in order to infiltrate the massive web of terrorist activity that easily crosses borders and languages.

Austria's "Jihad by Telecommute"

Labels: Web Technologies