Nothing is better and more in vogue than social media, with particular emphasis on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
The killers of IS are making huge use of Twitter and with great success such that even Twitter or the NSA can keep up. Attempting to track 28,000 accounts in less than 30 days is a Herculean task.
Analysis Summary
ISIS supporters will create a new account, usually under a very similar name, almost immediately after their profile is suspended by Twitter. The new user handle is then promoted by other ISIS-related Twitter accounts.
Despite Twitter’s efforts to shut down accounts, the number of users that talk favorably about ISIS since August 20, 2014 (post-release of the James Foley video) is still quite large at over 27,000 accounts.
Recorded Future’s sentiment and network link analysis can identify Twitter accounts that belong to the same user.
Over the past few months, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has quickly become the most feared terrorist organization in the world. One of their most effective strategies for spreading terror globally is their savvy application of social media.
Almost every organization around the world employs social media to build brand awareness. It’s convenient, free, and offers easy access to a large number of people. So it’s no surprise ISIS has become a sophisticated user of platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube to recruit and spread propaganda. Their use of Twitter-integrated apps such as Fajer Al Bashaer (Dawn of Good Omens/Tidings) is a prime example.
Read more here and see graphs.
Who is likely the social media point person for IS? Well look no further than someone from Massachusetts and his name is Ahmad Abousamra.
Ahmad Abousamra: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know
Ahmad Abousamra, 32, a dual U.S./Syrian citizen from Mansfield, Massachusetts, is seen in this FBI handout photo taken in 2004. It’s reported by ABC News that Abousamra is responsible for much of ISIS Twitter posts and YouTube uploads, possibly including the execution footage of American journalists, Steven Sotloff and James Foley.
Speaking to ABC News, FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Kieran Ramsey said “There continues to be a worldwide search for Abousamra and he will be pursued until he is found. He’s believe to be in Syria right now and is facing charges in the US from 2009 and 2013 relating to terrorism.
Abousamra has been able to turn the computer skills he learned while studying and graduating from the University of Massachusetts and Northwestern toward terror, reports the Boston Herald. The paper says that he left UMASS in 2006. According to the FBI, Abousamra was employed by a telecommunications company before devoting his life to terror. He was born in France in September 1981 but moved to the U.S. when he was young.
It’s reported that Abousamra is a good friend of Tarek Mehanna, a former pharmacist from Sudbury, Massachusetts. The Boston Herald wrote that Abousamra used to spend their time together watching Jihadi videos. At one stage the pair are alleged to have sought to buy automatic weapons to shoot up a mall. Mehanna is being held in prison in Marion, Illinois. Abousamra is considered a co-defendant in the Mehanna case.
The FBI’s official release indicates that Abousamra first went to Syria in 2004 but had previously spent time in Pakistan in 2002. It’s believed that he got his terrorist training while in Pakistan. After leaving for Syria in February 2004, he returned in August, saying he had become ill, according to border police who stopped him at Logan airport. He also said that he had tried to get work as an Arabic/English translator in Iraq. The ABC News report indicates that Abousamra was questioned by the FBI about his terrorism activities in 2006. After this, he fled to Syria and hasn’t returned. He thought to be hiding out in Aleppo with his wife and daughter.
While speaking in code to fellow Jihadists on the phone during his time in the US, Abousamra referred to training camps as “Culinary School” and Peanut Butter and Jelly.”
Ahmad Abousamra: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know
There is a magazine published by IS called Dabiq. It is so well done, that likely Abousamra had a deep hand in the text given the perfect USA English used.
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Dabiq: What Islamic State’s New Magazine Tells Us about Their Strategic Direction, Recruitment Patterns and Guerrilla Doctrine
Dabiq Magazine (Source: Twitter user @umOmar246)
Executive Summary
On the first day of Ramadan (June 28), the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) declared itself the new Islamic State and the new Caliphate (Khilafah). For the occasion, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, calling himself Caliph Ibrahim, broke with his customary secrecy to give a surprise khutbah (sermon) in Mosul before being rushed back into hiding. Al-Baghdadi’s khutbah addressed what to expect from the Islamic State. The publication of the first issue of the Islamic State’s official magazine, Dabiq, went into further detail about the Islamic State’s strategic direction, recruitment methods, political-military strategy, tribal alliances and why Saudi Arabia’s concerns that the Kingdom may be the Islamic State’s next target are well-founded.
Published in several European languages, including English, the magazine has a number of purposes. The first is to call on Muslims to come help the new caliph. Next, the magazine, comprising 50 vivid pages of color pictures, illustrations and artfully crafted text, tells the story of the Islamic State’s success in gaining the support of Syrian tribes, reports on the success of its recent military operations and graphically portrays the atrocities committed by its enemies, as well as vivid pictures of its own violence against Shi’ites. The premier issue also used classic Islamic texts to explain and justify the nature of the caliphate, its intentions, legitimacy and political and religious authority over all Muslims. Throughout its carefully constructed allusions, the magazine subtly appeals to the followers of other jihadist groups including the followers of the Islamic State’s foremost jihadist critics and potential followers in the Arabian Peninsula.
Another important purpose of Dabiq in the service of recruitment is to establish the Islamic State’s cosmic destiny by combining an eschatological account of coming battles gleaned from popular apocalyptic literature, the classical traditions of the Prophet Muhammad, prophecies and modern tactics taken from Salafi-Jihadist strategic literature. The strategic portion of this message is attributed to the original leader of the jihadist insurrection during the American occupation of Iraq, Abu Mus’ab al-Zarqawi. Taken together this mix is intended to capture the imagination of young warriors and inspire them to come and fight for Islamic State. This presentation will not solve the array of challenges facing the Islamic State, but it probably will help attract more young adherents as well as prove that al-Baghdadi and his advisors have developed a serious plan. It is important for Western countries to appreciate the dangerous instability this new movement, despite its obvious flaws, is capable of generating if left to its own devices.
