Terrorists and internet syndrome

Most analysts believe that the leader of Al-Qaeda Osama bin Laden died a long time ago. However, a powerful minority that controls the media insists that he is alive. To prove that OBL is alive, some companies including the so-called Al-Sihab have been engaged in putting on various sites on the internet containing audio and video messages of the leader of Al-Qaeda. Nobody knows as how Al-Sihab has been able to escape the sophisticated American and Western monitoring system through its unhindered access to the internet. Again, there is no answer to the question of how could Al-Sihab sustain itself for over a decade without being detected. 

An interest aspect in this regard is the statement of former US President George Bush that the message released by OBL to al-Jazeera had helped him elected for the second term. OBL offered in that tape a “ long-term truce” to allow rebuilding of Afghanistan and Iraq while also making threats of “ new attacks” against the United States. May be it was a slip of tong from the US President. There was no truce in Iraq and Afghanistan. Additionally, American never witnessed another attack similar to 9/11. A careful study of the messages of OML shows that the man and his organization have damaged the cause of the Muslims by their extremist and false attempt to portray Muslims as enemies of the United States and the West. 

There are two explanations to this audio and video tapes phenomenon. First, there are some rouge elements within anti-Muslim states or , Non-State Actors, who fake these messages and put them on the internet or leak them to some television stations. The objective is to use OBL to perpetuate the ordeals of the Muslims, to expel them from America and Europe and to justify occupying their territories and stealing their natural resources. The case of Iraq is a perfect and living example.

Second, OBL, Al-Qaeda and other allied terrorists have been able to acquire computer technology. These terrorists are using this technology as a means of communication with each other and with the rest of the world. Here comes the danger. Having access to computer technology means that American and the advanced Western World is in grave danger. 

Computer knowledge means that terrorists, drug traffickers, arms smugglers and the underworld can have access to some very sensitive computers that control missile systems, banking systems data mining, coordination of actions and security system. 

Terrorists can also develop their own encryption tools to make the internet an efficient and secure means of correspondence. Internet can be a source of recruits and financing. Most dangerously, internet can be used as a vehicle to launch an attack. Terrorists can hack into electric grids and security system. They can paralyze extremely sensitive computer system through launching a powerful computer virus. 

While the interest is very useful source of communication, information and entertainment, it has been an arena used by the terrorist and invisible forces to propagate their message, hatred and confusion. Those with little knowledge of internet and compute system can initiate an e-mail from Pakistan while sitting in New York and vice-versa. Therefore, the American and Western security agencies should be very vigilant and protect the internet from terrorist attacks and schemes. They should not accuse other states of terrorism without due investigation by cyber-police.