Comments on: Closure of Forums Breeds Paranoia, Carpetbaggers

By: COMOPS Journal » Did the Bad Guys Scuttle Their Own Forums?

COMOPS Journal » Did the Bad Guys Scuttle Their Own Forums? — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 13:59:07 +0000

[…] at Jihadica reported on a wave of take downs on June 10th, then another on September 21st, then yet another on October 27. CBS scooped WaPo on it a month ago, re-reporting a story in the […]

By: Or Shahor

Or Shahor — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 01:29:31 +0000

The real question is whether Hobbes knows who it was that was responsible for whatever it was that happened to the sites in question, and also what it was those people hoped to achieve with whatever action it was they undertook.

That question is, of course, rhetorical. Those who know have so far done a pretty good job of not saying anything.

Analysts need to remember that they represent only one viewpoint and set of priorities. There are others. And the holders of those other viewpoints and priorities are generally better armed, among other things.

In any event, the sites will likely come back online, and all will be right in the world…

By: Hobbes

Hobbes — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 15:00:24 +0000

The real question is whether the elimination of their obvious networks is actually hindering the ‘real’ efforts at attacks, or merely hampers intelligence collection efforts in monitoring their activities.

By: Patton

Patton — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 01:44:51 +0000

So would this be something for the U.S. to work on? Cyberwar against the jihadi forums? Since a lot of AQ has apparently moved online, that could be a way to disrupt AQ’s recruitment, etc.