Terrorists twisting Twitter

 

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By Matthew Sparkes

Posted on 28 Oct 2008 at 11:49

Twitter and other online tools could be used to plan terrorist attacks, warns a draft report from the US Army.

"Twitter is already used by some members to post and/or support extremist ideologies and perspectives. For example, there are multiple pro and anti Hezbollah tweets," says the report, which goes on to explain that recent demonstrations in the US, planned in part using Twitter, show the effectiveness of the tool.

One scenario put forward suggests that terrorists may use Twitter to report on military activity and plan ambushes, perhaps using a Google Maps mashup to better visualise the information. Military personnel's personal Twitter accounts could also be valuable sources of information, it is claimed.

Other warnings include the possibility that groups such as the Taliban could theoretically use Skype to communicate, employing voice changing software and caller ID spoofing to elude international intelligence agencies.

Terrorists have long used mobile phones as triggers for improvised explosive devices, but the practice could soon become far more advanced, warns the military.

According to the report, an online discussion forum called Mujahedeen Army of Iraq Enabling Islamic Mobiles contains posts from a user named Volcanic, explaining how mobile phones can be used to monitor soldiers in a theatre of war, and even suggested that a mobile phone and camera could be integrated into a missile warhead, in order to provide footage to "scare the enemies".