[iwar] [fc:Agents.pursue.terrorists.online]

From: Fred Cohen (fc@all.net)
Date: 2002-06-22 09:07:17
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From: Fred Cohen <fc@all.net>
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Date: Sat, 22 Jun 2002 09:07:17 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: [iwar] [fc:Agents.pursue.terrorists.online]
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                    06/21/2002 - Updated 12:23 AM ET 

Agents pursue terrorists online 

By Jack Kelley, USA TODAY 

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - U.S.  officials are searching the Internet for the
reappearance of a Web site that they believe has been used by al-Qaeda
to deliver messages, including possible instructions for its next
attacks, to its operatives around the world. 

The Arabic Web site, recently known as alneda.com, is a "mouthpiece for
al-Qaeda in exile" and one of the terrorist group's main instruments in
its effort to regroup, senior U.S.  law enforcement officials here say. 

The site, which is registered in Singapore, appeared on Web servers in
Malaysia and Texas this month before it was taken off at the request of
U.S.  officials.  They now expect it to reappear under a numerical
address in an effort to throw off FBI and CIA specialists who are trying
to locate and read it. 

The site contained audio and video clips of Osama bin Laden, pictures of
al-Qaeda suspects under detention in Pakistan, and possibly encrypted,
or scrambled, messages to al-Qaeda members, U.S.  officials say. 

They say it also contained:

 A recent message claiming to be from al-Qaeda spokesman Sulaiman Abu
Ghaith, in which he warned of more attacks against the United States. 
 A series of articles claiming that suicide bombings aimed at Americans
are justifiable under Islamic law. 

"Alneda.com is one of the only sites, if not the only site, for
statements by al-Qaeda and the Taliban," says Ben Venzke, a
cyberterrorism expert and CEO of the Virginia-based counterterrorism
consulting firm IntelCenter.  "I expect it to reappear as quickly as it
goes down and keep shifting."

Al-Qaeda members have probably copied the site's contents onto CD-ROMs
so they can establish it under a new address, Venzke says.  He expects
that address to be communicated to a few al-Qaeda members by e-mail and
then spread through the ranks. 

Venzke and other experts say al-Qaeda leaders prefer to use a Web site
to communicate with followers, rather than telephones or mass e-mails
that are much easier to trace. 

U.S.  officials say they are also monitoring a U.S.-based Internet chat
room where participants appear to be planning terrorist attacks against
the United States.  The officials declined to identify the Web site that
is hosting the chat room because of their ongoing investigation. 

One participant in the chat room was asked recently whether he could
speak Spanish, U.S.  officials say.  He said he could.  U.S.  officials
say they believe that al-Qaeda recruiters are searching for Latino
Muslims with U.S.  passports to conduct attacks against the United
States.  Last month, Abdullah Al Muhajir - born Jose Padilla - was
arrested in Chicago for allegedly plotting to detonate a radioactive
"dirty bomb" in the USA.  Officials say he is an American al-Qaeda
member. 

Although there are several Web sites that appear to be run by al-Qaeda
supporters overseas, officials say the site hosting the chat room has
become of particular concern to them because it is based in the USA. 

The U.S.-based Web site, some of which has been viewed by USA TODAY,
contains links to videos showing the death of Wall Street Journal
reporter Daniel Pearl and the destruction of the World Trade Center.  It
also contains several other chat rooms where participants can post
messages about al-Qaeda members or other Muslims who were recently
killed in Afghanistan, the West Bank and Gaza or elsewhere. 

Among the recent messages posted on the site in English:

 "There is no better reward than to sacrifice your life for the cause of
Allah."
 "We have no hatred towards anyone, not even the Americans or Jews.  We
just love to send them to hell where they belong in the external flames
of fire.  God is great!"
 "No death of (an) American on Father's Day? Now that is sad."


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