The Jihadist insurgents propagandize to American troops on the Internet

[ApostateAbe]

And to the American soldiers we say, you can also choose to fight tyranny with us. Lay down your weapons, and seek refuge in our mosques, churches and homes. We will protect you. And we will get you out of Iraq, as we have done with a few others before you.

Go back to your homes, families, and loved ones. This is not your war. Nor are you fighting for a true cause in Iraq.

And to George W. Bush, we say, “You have asked us to ‘Bring it on’, and so have we. Like never expected. Have you another challenge?"

This is part of a video released by the Islamic Jihad Army, narrated by a man with a perfect British accent.

Large video.

Transcript with small video.

This video was made exclusively for the Internet. Simply by putting an easily-copied video on a message board, they can make their propaganda available to millions in an instant, and there is nothing that can be done to stop it. I saw the video on this Muslim forum in which the poster said, "I hope the Message hits home, Pls pass it on." It seems to be the first insurgent propaganda video made in English, but many propaganda videos have been made in Arabic with the intent to unite Muslims against the American occupation. They often imply American brutality.

I am saying this because I think we are at great risk of losing the freedom and anarchy of the Internet. If wars against terrorists and guerrillas continue, then the days of a free Internet will soon end, because a free Internet is too much help to the enemy.

The "control of cyberspace" has already been an important part of the neo-conservative plan to "Rebuilding America's Defenses" for over four years, ever since September 2000.

Over the next several decades, the United States must field a global system of missile defenses, divine ways to control the new "international commons" of space and cyberspace and build new kinds of conventional forces for different strategic challenges and a new technological environment.

If the American people allowed it, then the Bush administration almost certainly would take control of the Internet, much like in China. It would be in the interest of winning the war on terror.

[Godless Dave]

I agree the danger is real. I also think good old American hacking would be able to get around any barriers put up by whatever overpaid incompetent contractor got the job of trying to restrict access to content from within the US. The trick is getting the hacker community to recognize the danger.

[JoeP]

I too agree. And I like your solution, GD, of getting the hacker community to protect us. But I see two limitations:

1 - it's not enough for hackers to create ways of getting round government control if Mr Average, Mrs Average and easily-influenced John-Boy Average and Mary-Sue Average don't understand them and get more and more limited views

2 - I think this government is not limited to recruiting incompetent people through the normal bureaucracy. I think they'll have access to willing far-right fundamentalist hackers.

[Godless Dave]

BTW, if some insurgent groups really would protect deserting soldiers and get them out of Iraq, I'd be all for it. Given their propensity for killing civilians, though, I wouldn't trust their propaganda.

[Petra]

Originally Posted by ApostateAbe

...narrated by a man with a perfect British accent.

Sounds like a UK-educated, upper middle-class, Dubliner to me. Admittedly, my ear is out of tune to these things these days, but I'm pretty sure I can hear a combination of Southern Irish and British Public School Boy. Even though I'm not quite sure how that would work.

Transcript with small video.

The better of the two links. Given that awful backing music dominating the message as spoken to the point of obscuring it. The music was hideous, too loud, and ill-chosen. I don't know what it was, but it sounded like the kind of music you would expect to hear during Nazi proganda radio in the 30's. Ominous, patriotic, authortarian. In a nutshell, shit I hate.

This video was made exclusively for the Internet. Simply by putting an easily-copied video on a message board, they can make their propaganda available to millions in an instant, and there is nothing that can be done to stop it.

I agree it is frightening. But it also has the power to be liberating. Such is the nature of information, communication, marketing, and technology.

I saw the video on this Muslim forum in which the poster said, "I hope the Message hits home, Pls pass it on." It seems to be the first insurgent propaganda video made in English, but many propaganda videos have been made in Arabic with the intent to unite Muslims against the American occupation. They often imply American brutality.

Unfortunately the speaker in the video, like many people, are over-simplifying the conflicts in Iraq.

There are two wars being fought there. One is a war of aggression by an occupying force. The other is a civil war unleashed by the instability caused by the chaos created by the aggression, arrogance, ignorance and criminality of the foreign occupying force. One is almost simple (if you can call a war that - simple-fucking-minded anyway) and the other is very complex with history, ethnicity, culture, geo-politics, repression, oppression, natural high-dollar resources, and all kinds of heady crap thrown in. Naturally, some of these translate well into the catalyst war - the one of foreign aggression - and there are crossover elements.

Iraq is one of those nations that should never have been; like Yugoslavia. It's borders were created by people who didn't live in the region or understand it.

And since it's inception it has been royally fucked with 100 different ways with most of those ways being bukkake.

I will never forgive those neo-con bastards and their assorted predecessors for opening that pandora's box. I can only hope that time will finally sort it all out, though I doubt anything truly positive and lasting will happen in my lifetime.

I am saying this because I think we are at great risk of losing the freedom and anarchy of the Internet. If wars against terrorists and guerrillas continue, then the days of a free Internet will soon end, because a free Internet is too much help to the enemy.

I think the technology is too widespread now, and technological know-how is out there. I could be wrong, but I think controlling the internet in countries that have had such exponential growth in general public demand for internet access and greater bandwidth technology assures it's stability as long as their is no great depression like in the 30's. Market forces in telecommunications and information technology is too huge, and cyber-culture networking has become too important. In this respect I believe in the power of both the market and the masses. Like Iraq, this is a pandora's box that will not be easily closed.

The "control of cyberspace" has already been an important part of the neo-conservative plan to "Rebuilding America's Defenses" for over four years, ever since September 2000.

If the American people allowed it, then the Bush administration almost certainly would take control of the Internet, much like in China. It would be in the interest of winning the war on terror.

The PNAC really scare me, and I agree with yourself, GD and JoeP that they pose a real threat. They are catalyst to a clash of cultures between American christofascists, MidEastern islamofascists, and militant Zionism. Oh, and throw in the Cold War leftovers of communism, socialism, capitalism, liberalism, conservatism, corporatism, nationalism, patriotism, fascism and damned near any other bloody *ism* you can think of! Add to that the fact that fuck all people are listening and the movers and shakers of the PNAC seem to be made of teflon and we have ourselves a real threat to our ways of life. Freedom is on the march.


There are some real bastards out there. Millions of them. Some of them batshit crazy, some of them cunning like a fox. Some of them have power and influence. Bastards!

[Dragar]

Sounds like a UK-educated, upper middle-class, Dubliner to me.

Not really. He sounds like someone with a Middle Eastern accent, speaking English.