SOCIAL MEDIA AND RADICALIZATION

Transcription

1 SOCIAL MEDIA AND RADICALIZATION How Extremists are Using Social Media To Radicalize, Recruit, and Mobilize Their Members Presented by: Ted Reynolds

2 THE UK EXPERIENCE The English Defence League The EDL was formed over the summer of They have used FaceBook as a recruitment and mobilization tool. Membership has risen from 500 in 9/09 to 98,000 in 7/11. Muslims Against Crusades MAC is an offshoot of Hizb ut Tahrir and al Majharoun. It is dedicated to the spread of Islam and the establishment of the Islamic State of the UK. Their stated goal is to have the UK then the whole of Europe to be governed under Sharia Law.

3 EFFECTIVE MOVEMENTS REQUIRE LEADERSHIP Tommy Robinson Anjem Choudrey

4 English Defence League The EDL is characterized by the government and media as a far right extremist/nationalist group

5 Muslims Against Crusades This is not a scene from Afghanistan or Pakistan. The banner to the right was prominently displayed on the website for MAC. The photo s are from the 10 th anniversary of 9-11 protest outside the US Embassy in LONDON

6 Radicalization Personified Anders Beivik 22 July 2011 Perpetrated bombing in Oslo killing eight then when to a Labour Party Youth Camp and systematically shot and killed 69 people. Breivik claimed contact with Norwegian and international far-right political movements, and claims to belong to an international anti-islam network with two cells in Norway and more in other countries. Police and experts doubt these claims but have not dismissed them completely. Anders Breivik claimed to have hundreds of EDL members as Facebook friends, and reportedly had extensive links with senior members of the EDL. He claims to have lashed out in response to the growing influence of Islam in his country and Europe, which he feels is being facilitated by the liberal government in Norway through policies of multiculturalism.

7 EXTREMIST SOCIAL MEDIA AND TERRORISM: A U.S. EXPERIENCE Anwar al Awlaki Omar Hammami Samir Khan Adam Gadahn

8 Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, 24, charged with trying to destroy a Northwest flight on Christmas Day with 278 passengers and 11 crew members on board. The detonator on his explosive malfunctioned and he was subdued by other passengers. Maj. Nidal Hasan, 39. The Army psychiatrist who went on a shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas killing 13 people and leaving g 30 wounded. Failed Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad, 30, drew inspiration from the Pakistani Taliban and Anwar al- Awlaki Shahzad stated that he had received bomb-making training in Waziristan, Pakistan. Radical Yemeni-American Islamic cleric Imam Anwar al-awlaki. Carlos Eduardo Almonte (20), and Mohamed Mahmood Alessa (24), were arrested on June 5, 2010, at JFK on their way to Somalia with the intention of joining Al Shabaab, an Al- Qaeda affiliate. Barry Walter Bujol, Houston, TX, 29-years old, is facing one charge of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization (Al- Qaeda) and one charge of aggravated identity theft.

9 The Purposeful Targeting of American Terrorists Using Computer Mediated Communication Pfc. Naser Jason Abdo, 21. Arrested near Fort Hood and is thought to have been preparing for a second Fort Hood attack. Bomb making methods and materials found during the arrest are straight out of Inspire and an Al Qaeda explosives course manual. Mike Levine, Fox News.com 7/28/11 Al Qaeda recently released the 4th edition of its magazine "Inspire" which has grown to 67 pages. This has articles from two "Most Wanted: Americans, Adam Gadahn ("Know That Jihad is Your Duty") and Anwar al Awlaki. ("Why I Chose al Qaeda"). A section entitled "Open Source Jihad" gives instructions on bomb building and how to detonate a device to properly bring down a large building. The article also breaks down an AK-47 for the novice. Finally, we have a poem or battle cry of sorts that clearly written for and directed at Westerners. Counter Terror Forum

10 CHALLENGES TO COUNTERING EXTREMIST / TERRORIST USE OF CMC

11 THANK YOU