Al Qaeda Threatening the World (the Virtual One)

Terrorists are becoming more tech savvy than anytime before, as many of them design websites that are supposed to promote the Al Qaeda ideology all over the world, a Saudi researcher informed, according to Reuters. Khaled al-Faram revealed that no less than 5,600 websites have already been available on the web, while approximately 900 pages have been rolled out every new year, the same source continued. Although you might be tempted to believe the terrorists are not so experienced in computer techniques, they actually managed to build an impressive system on the web, which automatically changed the URL and the addresses of the websites once they have been detected by unauthorized people.

"Research shows there are more than 5,600 sites on the Internet promoting the ideology of al Qaeda. There are some 900 news sites appearing every year, and despite the retreat of some media outlets specifically run by al Qaeda, extremist Web sites are constantly on the rise," the Saudi researcher said, according to Reuters.

"The real battle with al Qaeda is no longer on the ground, but rather a media battle, and it is a real threat to national security. For al Qaeda media coverage is more important than the actual operations", he continued.

Certainly, all these websites serve as the best way to find new recruits and militants ready to join the Al Qaeda groups, as they show all types of information about the extremists. Some time ago, the researchers discovered numerous pages containing information about the terrorist training camps, as well as several clips, published on the web, which were all supposed to convince the interested users that joining their groups would mean an important step in their lives.

But, the terrorists begin to represent a dangerous presence on the web, as they could use the virtual world for gathering new information and collect details regarding new potential targets. In fact, they have already done this, as they turned to Google Earth to get info concerning several locations which were supposed to be attacked. Back in January, some terrorists used the downloadable Google mapping tool in order to attack Basra and the UK army in the area. At that time, the Mountain View company replaced the photos with older ones captured before the departure of the troops in Basra.