Key websites used by al-Qaeda-linked operatives have been closed for
the past six weeks. The al-Ekhlas, al-Buraq and al-Firdaws websites are all
linked to al-Fajr the propaganda wing of al-Qaeda. All have been out of action
since shortly before 11 September this year. Previous attempts to block
al-Qaeda sites have all failed,
with many of the sites suffering occasional glitches but re-emerging soon
thereafter.
The toD Verdict: The internet is a central and increasingly important tool for al-Qaeda, providing
a forum for recruitment, training and propaganda. According to Naval Postgraduate
School professor John
Arquilla, jihadist groups "don't exist without the web." Analysts and jihadists alike have therefore
concluded that the closure of these internet forums must be one element of a broad,
coordinated western strategy to defeat al-Qaeda. Keep up to date with the latest
developments and sharpest perspectives in a world of strife and struggle.
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A counter theory has emerged however, highlighting deep divisions between violent jihadist movements. This theory holds that the websites are casualties of sectarian cyber warfare between rival Shia and Sunni groups. In September, dozens of Shia Internet sites were reportedly attacked by Wahhabi hackers. Subsequently, www.alarabiya.net was hacked, displaying a message which read "If the attacks against Shia Internet sites continue, none of your Internet sites will be secure any longer."
Analysts say that the closure of these sites will significantly reduce the capacity of al-Qaeda to distribute its propaganda. Many other extremist websites remain operational, however, and the states working to combat radical militancy should recognise that cyberspace is a field of battle just as important as more traditional terrains.
Pakistani school hit in
missile attack
Two
missiles destroyed
half of a religious school near Miranshah in North
Waziristan early Thursday. Witnesses claim that at least eight
students were killed by the attack. According to reports, the school lies in close proximity to the
residence of Jalaluddin Haqqani, a fugitive Taliban leader. It is widely
suspected that the airstrike was launched from a pilotless US drone. Haqqani's residential
complex was previously targeted in a missile attack which killed more than 10
people. Recent weeks have witnessed an increase in US missile attacks against
suspected militants in Pakistan,
creating tensions between the two "war on terror" allies. Pakistani President
Asif Ali Zardari has said
he will not tolerate violations of his country's territory. The latest missile
attack comes hours after the Pakistani parliament unanimously adopted
a resolution calling on the government to defend its sovereignty.
Tamil Tiger attack on merchant vessels
Two merchant ships carrying supplies to northern Sri Lanka
have been attacked
by Tamil Tigers. According to the naval officials, the vessels were carrying humanitarian
aid to the Jaffna
peninsula when they were targeted by three explosives-laden boats. Sailors
opened fire, capturing one of the boats and destroying the two others. The Jaffna
Peninsula is situated in the far north
of Sri Lanka. The attack comes as government forces continue
their offensive in the north, attacking the Tamil Tiger's last bases after capturing
their eastern strongholds in July 2007. The army is currently
within 2 kilometres of the rebel headquarters in Kilinochchi and aim to crush the rebels
and end their fight for a separate state for the ethnic Tamil minority.
"Triangle of Death" handed over to Iraqi military
US forces handed control of security in the province of Babil to Iraqi forces on Thursday.
The
province south of Baghdad is the 12th of Iraq's 18
provinces to witness the handover of primary responsibility for security to
Iraqi forces. However, the move is significant. The province includes an area
which became known as the "triangle of death". According to Lieutenant-General
Lloyd Austin, commander of U.S.
combat forces in Iraq,
the province was experiencing over twenty attacks per week. Within a year this
has fallen by eighty percent, thanks in large part to the Sunni Awakening Councils.
He called the event a "milestone for Iraq in maturing as a sovereign and
democratic nation." At a handover ceremony in the provincial capital Hilla, Iraq's
National Security adviser Mowaffaq al-Rubaie said that Iraqis will also take
control of Wasit province within days. "This is proof that our military forces
have reached self-sufficiency, and can now be depended upon to preserve
internal security," Rubaie said.
Tensions in South Ossetia threaten to
boil over
Tensions in the Caucasus rose on Thursday when Georgia
claimed
Russia has deployed as many
as 7,000 soldiers in the separatist region of South
Ossetia. Georgian Interior Ministry spokesman Shota Utiashvili
claimed that an additional 2000 soldiers have entered the region. Tbilisi says it has
monitored "suspicious movements" by the Russian military, raising fears of
further military action following a five day war between the two neighbours in
August. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov denied the troop build-up, claiming
that Georgia
has repeatedly deployed special forces near the rebel regions thereby violating
a ceasefire agreement.
