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.
Sign up to receive toD's daily security briefings via email by clicking here
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.
