http://www.lebaneselobby.org/News__index/news%202006/07%2008%2006%20Visits%2 0to%20militant%20Web%20sites%20exposed%20seemingly%20ideal%20jihad%20recruit .html Visits to militant Web sites exposed seemingly ideal jihad recruit
By Mohamad Bazzi Newsday Posted July 8 2006 BEIRUT, Lebanon . He was told not to grow a beard, or wear Islamic clothing, or show any outward sign of religious devotion. During his recruitment as a soldier in the global jihad, Assem Hammoud was told to act like a typical young, secular Lebanese man, according to a senior Lebanese security official. Hammoud was an ideal recruit because he did not have any apparent ties to militants, and he was warned not to attract attention. "He had no criminal history, and no history of involvement with militant groups," said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "He was living a normal life, far from any suspicion." Hammoud, 31, became involved with militant Web sites in 2003, shortly after the United States invaded Iraq. "He was angry with what America was doing in Iraq, and he began spending time on these Islamic sites and chat rooms," said the official, who is familiar with Hammoud's interrogations. "He became more and more deeply involved. He sank into this extremist environment." Most of the advice that Hammoud received -- about how to act, what to read, how to train for jihad and how to hide his militant tendencies -- came over the Internet, the official said. But his frequent presence in militant chat rooms and Web sites was also his undoing. Tipped by the FBI that an alleged plot to bomb New York City tunnels was being hatched on the Internet, Lebanon's Internal Security branch tracked down Hammoud. The official said a special unit that monitors Internet and phone activity identified him through the Internet Protocol, or IP, address he was using to access an Islamist site. Lebanese officials monitored his Web activity and phone calls for several months before arresting him on April 27. While he might not have learned how to properly hide his IP address, as many Islamic militants do, Hammoud did pick up the jihadists' penchant for symbolism. He used the pseudonym Emir Andalusi, which in Arabic means "Prince of Andalus." It's a reference to the Muslim empire of Al-Andalus, which was centered in what now is modern-day Spain. In the Islamic world, few symbols are as resonant as the 15th-century downfall of Al-Andalus. To many militants, its fall because of infighting among rival Muslim princes and clans marked the end of Islam's golden age. "He had a lot of jihadist literature and material that was sent to him by other militants," said the official. Shortly after his arrest, Hammoud admitted to being part of al-Qaida. "He confessed that he was planning a big terrorist act in the United States," the official said. Through the Internet, Hammoud sent "detailed maps and instructions" about the U.S. targets to his associates. The official said Lebanese investigators intercepted those messages. Newsday is a Tribune Co. newspaper. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Great things are happening at Yahoo! Groups. See the new email design. http://us.click.yahoo.com/TISQkA/hOaOAA/yQLSAA/TySplB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> -------------------------- 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/ <*> 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/
