http://www.islamonl <http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1183484335846&; pagename=Zone-English-News/NWELayout> ine.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1183484335846&pagename=Zone-Englis h-News/NWELayout Al-Qaeda Polishing Media Prowess IslamOnline.net & Newspapers
Al-Qaeda's media wing has released at least 63 audio and video messages this year CAIRO - Frequent and timely broadcasts by top Al-Qaeda leaders show that the group has ramped up its media propaganda and that its leaders are far from being cut off or on the run, American experts said. "It's a drumbeat. If they disappear for a while people say, 'Oh, they're dead or they're gone.' So they want to keep up with the drumbeat," Evan Kohlmann, an author who closely tracks the propaganda efforts of Al Qaeda and other militant groups, told The Christian Science Monitor on Monday, July 16. Al-Qaeda media arm, As Sahab, has released at least 63 audio and video messages since the beginning of this year, compared with 58 in 2006, according to the US-based intelligence institute IntelCenter. In many of those, group's second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahiri has been able to respond to the news events within days. He has issued at least 10 messages since January on events such as Hamas's takeover of the Gaza Strip last month and Pakistani military crackdown on militant students in Islamabad's Red Mosque this month. Experts believe As Sahab, which became active at the end of 2005, has overcome earlier fears that producing too many videos would lead to capture. Kohlmann attributes the increased media output to better technology, a more secure position, and competition from other groups. Prowess Analysts say that Al-Qaeda's new technological prowess indicates that its leaders have recaptured the reins and are far from being on the run. "We actually see Al-Qaeda central being resurgent in their role in planning operations," John Kringen, the CIA's director for intelligence, told a House Armed Services Committee hearing last week. "We see that activity rising." A new counter-terrorism study has concluded that despite nearly six years of war, bombings and other tactics aimed at crippling its capability, Al-Qaeda has been able to rebuild to an "extent not seen" since 9/11. On July 15, National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley said he had recently seen some terrorism developments that are a "source of concern." Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff previously have issued similar warnings. However, some critics insist that the warnings are exaggerated. John Mueller, an Ohio State University professor of security studies, believes one reason there have been no terror attacks on US soil since 9/11 is that there are no effective terrorist cells here. He says the media, the Bush administration and security contractors have a vested interest in exaggerating that threat. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: osint@yahoogroups.com Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
