Analyst's note: A Politico story shows that the number of Islamic terrorist websites has grown from 12 in 1998 to nearly 7,000 in 2009, and that number is likely higher today. This reflects the virtual explosion in internet usage since 1998.
But it also reveals something else—how Islamists are aggressively using the internet to drive the ideology of jihad.
[....] the Obama administration has struggled with monitoring online communications, especially where U.S. citizens are involved. The counterterrorism strategy released in June notes that “mass media and the Internet in particular have emerged as enablers for terrorist planning, facilitation and communication, and we will continue to counter terrorists’ ability to exploit them.” It also emphasizes the efforts would be “narrowly tailored” to protect civil liberties.
The strategy also depends heavily on working with Muslim community groups in the United States.
And that approach has drawn criticism from some lawmakers who want more concrete efforts. In a Sept. 12 letter to White House counterterrorism adviser John Brennan, Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and the panel’s ranking Republican, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, said the administration’s strategy does not adequately address the problem.
“Even the most successful engagement strategy will fail to reach these kinds of individuals who are disengaged and find encouragement and validation for radicalization online,” the senators wrote. “We recommend that the forthcoming implementation plan have an appendix devoted specifically to countering online radicalization. This strategy should include plans to encourage the private sector to aid the numerous Muslim-American groups and community leaders who oppose Islamist extremism in setting up and maintaining their own professional-quality Internet platforms to counter the terrorist message.”
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