Monitoring jihad communication

The analysis of web-communication promoted by the jihad terrorists is a fundamental aspect of our research. While we evaluate the facts through an approach rooted in communication studies, we also emphasize the communication in itself of terrorism. The assumption is that terrorists have well developed communication skills, therefore there might exist a “media center” and clearly defined recruitment strategies.

At present, it is presumed that clues about the next terrorist targets are online. It is in our best interest to be able to decode it. ITSTIME has been monitoring web sites thanks to advanced web search tools that have allowed us to collect about 50.000 multimedia files and to analyze more than 150 sites.

Our work is focused on the web, in particular on the analysis of terrorist communication on the Internet. This research group is dedicating to identifying the media center of communication, the promotion and recruitment communication strategies and the opportunities to develop effective counter measures. The research is also based on detailed semiotic and linguistic examinations in order to profile potential jihad candidates. Recently we have been analyzing Italian web sites (both sites in Italian, or sites hosted in Italy) and anarch-insurectional “mirror” web sites in order to expand our knowledge. The latter, not only are potential supporters, but also offer great research opportunities because of the persistent presence of uploaded materials on the Internet .

The methodical monitoring of web sites could be difficult because they quickly disappear and because of the multilevel analysis that is needed. ITSTIME is primarily focused on the monitoring of the distribution of audiovisual materials. This choice is due to the strong impact on its audience and to the opportunity of conveying specific information. Audiovisual and written materials play a crucial role, especially in chatrooms and forums. They address specific issues and are suitable for development of counter terrorism actions.

At present, it can be stated that there has been a major shift in the terrorist communication: from a “naive” phase to a more sophisticated stage, characterized by resources, skills and specific strategies. These aspects imply either an organizational centre that coordinates the skills and strategies to take advantage of the web structure, or potential electronic traces.

ITSTIME research is mainly concerned with:

• How t he media centre works. The comparison between post-production and “rough” audiovisual materials made by terrorist's cells. This analysis highlights the communication strategies and identifies the targets, in particular the recruitment tactics;
• How the materials are distributed. Our studies focus on maps of links and backlinks directed towards a website;
• How recruitment strategies develop. Our analysis aims at profiling the communication targets.