[infowar.de] Timothy Thomas: Al Qaeda and the Internet: The Danger of "Cyberplanning"

[Ralf Bendrath <bendrath -! - zedat - fu-berlin - de>]

Infowar.de, http://userpage.fu-berlin.de/~bendrath/liste.html
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Tim Thomas ist einer der besten Infowar-Analytiker der
US-Militärakademien. Daher wird dieser Artikel wohl wieder häufig
zitiert und diskutiert werden. Hier ein Kersatz:
"Cyberplanning may be a more important terrorist Internet tool than the
much touted and feared cyberterrorism option"
Na, was sagen wir denn die ganze Zeit? :-)
RB

http://carlisle-www.army.mil/usawc/Parameters/03spring/thomas.htm

Al Qaeda and the Internet: 
The Danger of "Cyberplanning" 

TIMOTHY L. THOMAS 

>From Parameters, Spring 2003, pp. 112-23. 

We can say with some certainty, al Qaeda loves the Internet. When the
latter first appeared, it was hailed as an integrator of cultures and a
medium for businesses, consumers, and governments to communicate with
one another. It appeared to offer unparalleled opportunities for the
creation of a "global village."

Today the Internet still offers that promise, but it also has proven in
some respects to be a digital menace. Its use by al Qaeda is only one
example. It also has provided a virtual battlefield for peacetime
hostilities between Taiwan and China, Israel and Palestine, Pakistan and
India, and China and the United States (during both the war over Kosovo
and in the aftermath of the collision between the Navy EP-3 aircraft and
Chinese MiG). In times of actual conflict, the Internet was used as a
virtual battleground between NATO's coalition forces and elements of the
Serbian population. These real tensions from a virtual interface
involved not only nation-states but also non-state individuals and
groups either aligned with one side or the other, or acting
independently. 

Evidence strongly suggests that terrorists used the Internet to plan
their operations for 9/11. Computers seized in Afghanistan reportedly
revealed that al Qaeda was collecting intelligence on targets and
sending encrypted messages via the Internet. As recently as 16 September
2002, al Qaeda cells operating in America reportedly were using
Internet-based phone services to communicate with cells overseas. These
incidents indicate that the Internet is being used as a "cyberplanning"
tool for terrorists. It provides terrorists with anonymity, command and
control resources, and a host of other measures to coordinate and
integrate attack options. 

Cyberplanning may be a more important terrorist Internet tool than the
much touted and feared cyberterrorism option-attacks against information
and systems resulting in violence against noncombatant targets.

(...)

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