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Book: Terror web sites growing at faster rate than rest of Internet
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SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Monday, May 8, 2006
TEL AVIV — A new book reports findings that Al Qaida and affiliated groups are expanding their use of
the Internet for recruitment and propaganda with a flurry of sites cultivating even women and children.
Based on research by Gabriel Weimann, professor of communications at
the University of Haifa, the book, reported Islamic insurgency websites were growing at a faster pace than the rest of
the Internet.
The book, "Terror on the Internet: The New Arena, the New
Challenges", cited 4,800 so-called terrorist websites, Middle East Newsline reported. In
1998, Weimann said, there were eight such websites affiliated to groups
cited on the State Department's terrorist list.
He said many of the websites that encourage violence against
the United States use American Internet servers.
The book asserts that Islamic insurgency groups have created websites that appeal to a
range of audiences, including women and children. Weimann cited similar findings by the U.S. government.
Hamas and Hizbullah have among the largest websites of Islamic groups.
Weimann said Hamas and Hizbullah target children and use computer games for
on-line training. He said Al Qaida has also created websites for women.
"Some groups are slicing up their target audience, by appealing to
different audiences with different messages, styles, arguments, rhetoric,"
Weimann said. "You can find terrorists that have [ages] 8, 12, 20
audiences."
Copyright © 2006 East West
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