Windows Into Al Qaeda Online Still Open, Say Experts
EmailPrivate contractors working with the U.S. government to monitor and track al Qaeda Internet communications say their windows into the various operations are not closed, despite two published media reports to the contrary. "The sources, methods and techniques utilized by IntelCenter to collect terrorist video material remain intact," said Ben Venzke, the CEO of IntelCenter, a private contractor providing counterterrorism support work to the intelligence community. A front-page article in today’s Washington Post featured an interview with Rita Katz, the founder of the SITE Intelligence Group, a small firm that monitors terrorist Web sites and propaganda video releases. THE BLOTTER RECOMMENDS Photos More Than Meets the Eye: Inside al Qaeda’s Videos Blotter Al Qaeda Videos May Be Doctored Click Here for Full Blotter Coverage. Katz told the Post she had obtained an early copy of the latest Osama bin Laden video last month, the first to be released in three years. Katz says she sent the link to the video to the White House under the condition that they not release it until al Qaeda’s media wing officially released the video, but that insiders leaked the transcript and video to various media outlets. Katz claims this leak revealed to al Qaeda how Katz was able to obtain an early copy. "Techniques that took years to develop are now ineffective and worthless," Katz told the Post. Others, however, say that in order to monitor these communication networks effectively, they are constantly adapting and modifying their techniques. Like Katz, Laura Mansfield, a pseudonym she uses for security reasons, also monitors extreme Islamist forums and Internet traffic looking for propaganda videos that are often released by al Qaeda’s media wing, As Sahab and others. Mansfield says that despite the recent video leak, she still has access to the material. "It’s a cat-and-mouse game," said Mansfield. "They know we’re watching them so they move around. I’m reprogramming my search tools at least once a week." Rita Katz declined to comment to ABCNews.com. Do you have a tip for Brian Ross and the Investigative Team?
RSS
Twitter
Facebook
It’s beginning to look as though the first week in September was one long Maalox Moment for the the White House.
On September 4, the FT broke the story of how the Chinese PLA had managed to hack and disrupt some significant Pentagon networks. The word “Cyberattack” was bandied about, and it was a very embarrassing day all ’round.
On September 5, authorities in Germany and Denmark arrested a totoal of 11 AQ types who had plans to make mischief somehow. They had been under surveillance and penetrated for a very long time, but the arrests appeared to be executed hastily. Up to nine other linked suspects in Germany evaded capture.
On September 5, three Air Force officers told the Army Times about the B-52H that had flown across the country a few days earlier carrying several honest-to-god nuclear tipped cruise missiles for reasons that still remain unclear. Whether it was a mistake or mischief, it was a horrifying event and a political nightmare for the White House.
Posted by: Uncle Fester | October 9, 2007, 3:05 pm 3:05 pm
Bush LEAKED the video and EXPOSED our intelligence capabilities to Al Qaeda? Isn’t that TREASON? Like giving nuclear secrets to the Russians?
Posted by: wilder5121 | October 9, 2007, 3:12 pm 3:12 pm
I usually don’t have an issue with news organizations reporting just about anything they want, but I’ll make an exception this time. What purpose does making public the fact that Al Qaeda hasn’t closed their security holes serve? Why don’t you just send them an email saying “Thanks for not paying attention to US news reports. By the way, we can still get our info the way we’ve been doing for years.”?
Posted by: Bob | October 9, 2007, 3:21 pm 3:21 pm
So Rita makes money off of selling the info she collects (as reported in an earlier story)? Gee who else do we know that is making money off of this war, conflict,event,happening…whatever. Can you say______sure I knew you could.
Posted by: Mitch | October 9, 2007, 3:32 pm 3:32 pm
Or treason like outing an undercover CIA agent? WHO are those people in the White House and what have they done with our country?
Posted by: Marilyn | October 9, 2007, 4:00 pm 4:00 pm
Way to disregard Operational Security. “Loose lips sink ships” as one of the old OPSEC phrases go.
Posted by: Steve | October 9, 2007, 4:21 pm 4:21 pm
If Billy was still in office, he would have given them freely.
Posted by: mark | October 9, 2007, 4:34 pm 4:34 pm
No, treason like saying the “War is lost” while we have young people under threat. Or, if you like, treason; “A good report from Iraq will be bad for us”.
Posted by: Sgt. Fury | October 9, 2007, 4:39 pm 4:39 pm
The questions are:
The Bush Administration, “mother of all dummies” or “father of most evil”? Preserving Al Qaeda, to justify its own existence. Wouldn’t that fall under the category of “most evil”?
Posted by: Fearmongerx | October 9, 2007, 5:10 pm 5:10 pm
Hey Fearmonderx
You forgot to throw in Hallibuton and the Zionists. What abouy Cheney’s wonderous Hurricane Machine that took out the Chocolate City, or Blood for Oil, or BushCo lied – People died… Come on don’t cherry pick the talking points. Put them all out there.
Posted by: Sgt. Fury | October 9, 2007, 5:33 pm 5:33 pm
@wilder–”Bush” did not personally leak
anything. In fact this appears to be little more than a publicity stunt on the part of SITE. To explain they are
an independent company. This video would have been shown anyways, SITE just
got to see it before it was shown to western sources/media outlets (due to infiltration of jihadist web sites etc..
The intelligence community ALSO got this video, SITE was just trying to beat them to the punch. Then they complain when “they” are the source. The media was going to report anyhow, and it is arrogent for them to assume they beat our guys. The only thing I learned is that our government is outsourcing intelligence gathering. A little disconcerting….
Posted by: James Buchanan | October 9, 2007, 5:35 pm 5:35 pm
“Or treason like outing an undercover CIA agent? ”
Wow, you HAVE gone off the deep end. Too bad. A non-agent being non-outed in a non-secret, non-supervised, non-mission she sent her non-interesting husband on, and you want to carry their water. I usually root for the underdog, but only because they are *worth* rooting for.
Posted by: Califemme | October 9, 2007, 5:40 pm 5:40 pm
Why do people complain when somebody mentiones anything that threatens the US troops in Iraq like SGT Fury: We have young people under threat. They are there by our choice. If you don’t like it, bring them back. Simple answer to your concern.
Posted by: BoBo | October 9, 2007, 5:52 pm 5:52 pm
So we have traitors in government and a news media that will print anything no matter how many people die because of it. What else is new?
Posted by: Neo Politicus | October 9, 2007, 6:30 pm 6:30 pm
So we have traitors in government and a news media that will print anything no matter how many people die because of it. What else is new?
Neo–READ THE ARTICLE PLEASE. NO ONE LEAKED ANYTHING CLASSIFIED. THE VIDEO
GOT RELEASED EARLY TO THE PRESS.
PERIOD. IT WAS GOING TO BE RELEASED ON SEPT. 11TH TO THE MEDIA ANYWAYS!!! SITE GOT IDENTIFIED AS THE SOURCE OF THE EARLY LEAK–AND THEY BLAME PEOPLE WITHOUT PROOF…READ THE ARTICLE PLEASE.
Posted by: James Buchanan | October 9, 2007, 7:24 pm 7:24 pm
Those people here defending the Bush administration’s outing of a CIA agent for purely POLITICAL PURPOSES don’t deserve to be Americans. They support the undermining of our intelligence agents for POLITICAL PURPOSES and are traitors to their country. What vile people.
Posted by: wilder5121 | October 9, 2007, 8:05 pm 8:05 pm
This story is irrelevant. What difference does it make if our government contract techies get a video early? The way to win the war on terror is to wipe out the Al Queda leaders and sanctuaries in Pakistan.
Posted by: Don Lester | October 9, 2007, 8:16 pm 8:16 pm
We ought to be able to figure out their methodology…we probably taught / trained them.
Posted by: Doug | October 9, 2007, 8:58 pm 8:58 pm
Do, you really think after 6 years, the governments really want Al-Qaeda and Bin Laden. When we have wanted someone bad enough in the past we fixed their wagon, so to Speak. Example Saddam, Noreaga, Qaddafi, shall I go on. What I am saying is wake up and smell the coffee. Osama Bin-laden will die of Natural causes, and not because we caught him. remember. We created these people when we needed the communist defeated. We gave them the training they needed. And just so, you know The Bin-Laden family owns too much of the us to ever allow their sibling too be apprehended. if this does not at least clue you in, Then keep hoping for the best is all I can Say and keep your Sheltered lives marching on. Row when your government tells you to row. smile when they tell you to smile and fear when they tell you to be in fear. Take care My Country men. Fear me not I am the HART AND SOLE of this Country. I am American.
Posted by: Adeeb N. | October 10, 2007, 12:31 am 12:31 am
There are thousdands of CCNP’s and CCIE’s in Pakistan and India. They teach the stuff in college like we do history… Of course there going to have the edge on us when it comes to the internet.
Posted by: RalphRider | October 10, 2007, 1:03 am 1:03 am
Often time people live their whole lives inside cyber space and lose touch with reality. Sites like this are like bait to people who, in cyber world, can say ridiculous things, have ridiculous personas and they never have to see anyone. Many posters are just crazy and thats a shame but if you hope to learn anything online you really have to sort things carefully. I am hoping to have a Dem President this time but I can see that the radical left will drive millions toward a moderate Republican again and I think really that is their point.
Posted by: Tom | October 10, 2007, 11:28 am 11:28 am
SITE did NOT leak the video, nor did anyone remotely related to the White House or the government for that matter. Ironically enough, one of the people they got to make a quote for this very article is however the leaker
Thanks so much Laura Mansfield and I mean that in the most tactful, diplomatic, yet sarcastic ways possible. All of us who do this for the greater good, don’t sell the intel, stay behind the scenes, and aren’t interested in the spotlight do not appreciate your efforts to sabotage it for the rest of us so you can enjoy your 15 minutes of fame.
We’re all sure AQ and the rest of the jihadists are singing your praises however now that thanks to you they got wind we (the good guys/gals) were on to one of their various cyber methods of spreading and promoting their terrorist propoganda!
For those who say well it was to be released on 9/11 anyway, yes that is true, but it would have been released on the date the terrorists had it planned so again they’d have had no clue the good guys had zoned in on one of their methods or web locations where they house the videos until they choose to release them.
So, YES it did make a difference that Laura Mansfield released it to the press as she fully admitted to doing in her various interviews. It also makes a difference because it was done for selfish reasons and personal gain as opposed to doing the right thing by turning it over to authorities and controlling herself from posting it on her website and sending it to her paid email subscription list in an effort to personally profit from it before it was FORMALLY released.
Posted by: BlueCollarBlonde | October 10, 2007, 7:45 pm 7:45 pm
Why on earth are people blocking Al-Qaeda from having an online pressence. Allowing them to keep and run known websites and known forums would give a great tool for identifying and locating some of them. If they want to broadcast their pressence, let them. Better a visible enemy than an invisible one and when it comes to technology, we have the upper edge, by far.
Posted by: John | May 21, 2008, 1:35 am 1:35 am