Al-Qaeda Hacker, 'Terrorist 007', Exposed
Rita Katz and Michael Kern write in The Washington Post:
For almost two years, intelligence services around the world tried to uncover the identity of an Internet hacker who had become a key conduit for al-Qaeda. The savvy, English-speaking, presumably young webmaster taunted his pursuers, calling himself Irhabi -- Terrorist -- 007. He hacked into American university computers, propagandized for the Iraq insurgents led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and taught other online jihadists how to wield their computers for the cause.
Suddenly last fall, Irhabi 007 disappeared from the message boards. The postings ended after Scotland Yard arrested a 22-year-old West Londoner, Younis Tsouli, suspected of participating in an alleged bomb plot. In November, British authorities brought a range of charges against him related to that plot. Only later, according to our sources familiar with the British probe, was Tsouli's other suspected identity revealed. British investigators eventually confirmed to us that they believe he is Irhabi 007.
More
here.
Four Horsemen Alert: Can Extremist Web Sites Be Stopped?
A Reuters newswire article by Michael Holden, via PC World, reports that:
From behind a computer keyboard at his London home, student Younes Tsouli used the Internet to spread al Qaeda propaganda, recruit suicide bombers and promote Web sites that encouraged the killing of non-Muslims.
The Moroccan-born student and two accomplices, one of whom he had never met in person, went on to become the first to be jailed in Britain for inciting terrorism over the Internet.
In September, a Scottish student described as a "wannabe suicide bomber" was imprisoned for eight years for owning terrorism material and distributing it via Web sites.
The two cases are examples of what Western authorities believe is the dangerous and growing role the Internet plays in spreading extremist propaganda and recruiting sympathizers to Islamist militant causes.
More
here.
Note: The "
Four Horsemen of the Information Apocalypse" is a term
originally coined by Bruce Schneier, referring to terrorists, drug dealers, kidnappers, and child pornographers, and the ways in which governments can
frighten the public into granting it additional powers it doesn’t really need.
- ferg
Image source: Sheri Gordon
'Terrorist 007' Was Internet Propagandist for al-Qaeda
Sean O’Neill writes on The Times Online (UK):
A London computer expert acquired worldwide notoriety on the internet as an al-Qaeda propagandist called “Irhabi 007”, a court was told yesterday.
Younis Tsouli allegedly used his web identity – which translates from Arabic as “Terrorist 007” – to spread extremist material around the world.
One of the many websites he set up, irhabi.007.ca, received 14,244 hits in August 2005 from users in Saudi Arabia, France, Belgium, Sweden, Israel, Canada, Britain, Mexico and other countries.
More
here.
UK: Hacking for Terror?
Mark Hosenball writes in Newsweek:
U.S. and British investigators appear to have inflicted a major blow to the online jihadist movement by arresting a U.K.-based terror suspect. The officials now believe the man British authorities are holding is an influential Islamic extremist cyberwarrior who used as his pseudonym an Arabic word for terrorist. NEWSWEEK was asked by U.S. authorities not to publish the suspect's Web user name because of continuing investigations.
Two U.S. counterterror officials, who asked not to be identified because they were discussing a sensitive investigation, said authorities now believe that the person who used the Terrorist login is a 22-year-old resident of West London named Younis Tsouli, who was arrested in London on terror-related charges by Scotland Yard last October. Two alleged associates in the London area were arrested at the same time on similar charges.
More
here.
