Newest U.S. Counterterrorism Strategy: Trolling

[Oracle]

In the decade since 9/11, the U.S. government has used a wide variety of tactics against terrorists. It's invaded countries where they operated (and ones where they didn't). It's tried to win the backing of foreign populations in which the terrorists hide. And it's sent commandos and deadly flying robots to kill them one by one.

One thing it hasn't done, until now: troll them.

Within the State Department, a Silicon Valley veteran has quietly launched an improbable new initiative to annoy, frustrate and humiliate denizens of online extremist forums. It's so new that it hasn't fully taken shape: Even its architects concede it hasn't fleshed out an actual strategy yet, and accordingly can't point to any results it's yielded. Its annual budget is a rounding error. The Pentagon will spend more in Afghanistan in the time it takes you to finish reading this sentence.

But it also represents, in the mind of its creator, a chance to discourage impressionable youth from becoming terrorists — all in an idiom they firmly understand. And if it actually works, it might stand a chance of cutting off al-Qaida's ability to replenish its ranks at a time when it looks to be reeling.

The program, called Viral Peace, seeks to occupy the virtual space that extremists fill, one thread or Twitter exchange at a time. Shahed Amanullah, a senior technology adviser to the State Department and Viral Peace's creator, tells Danger Room he wants to use "logic, humor, satire, [and] religious arguments, not just to confront [extremists], but to undermine and demoralize them." Think of it as strategic trolling, in pursuit of geopolitical pwnage.

Read more @ Wired

 

[Armand2REP]

50 cent army to fight Al Queda... :shocked:

 

[Predator]

why dont they hire the ultimate troll, digvijaya singh, who will prove that al-qeada are saffron terrorists funded by RSS. Al-Qaeda terrorists will commit suicide in shame, no more terror attacks.

 

[The Messiah]

50 cent army to fight Al Queda... :shocked:

what are the odds that the yanks will outsource this too

 

[Neil]

what are the odds that the yanks will outsource this too

it will be banglored by Obama....after all troll are found only in buffalo

 

[ejazr]

There is actually a fully operational Saudi led program on fighting internet extremism working closely with CIA. So this is not really new. Viral Peace might be a new program, but there are quite a few initiatives being supported by UK and the US among others on this for a while now.

The Saudi program was code named the Sakinah initiative and was formally launched in 2006. The US regularly works with the Saudis and other GCC states in developing and improving techniques to tackle extremist narrative online.

More info is here. I am just quoting the Conclusion but the entire article is very interesting to learn what the Sakinah initiative is about
The Sakinah Campaign and Internet Counter-Radicalization in Saudi Arabia | Combating Terrorism Center at West Point

Conclusion

The popularity of the internet and its central role in spreading violent Islamist ideologies has led to international interest in Saudi Arabia's Sakinah Campaign. One of the program's greatest assets is its ability to interact with people not only residing in the kingdom; Sakinah workers, for example, interact with an increasing number of non-Saudis. Since word of the campaign has spread, it has been approached by several other countries asking for assistance in creating similar programs to combat internet radicalization. The United Arab Emirates and Kuwait both have sought to work with the Saudis to create national versions of the Sakinah Campaign. A number of other nations—including Algeria, the United Kingdom and the United States—have also expressed interest in creating web-based counter-radicalization platforms.

The importance of the internet will only increase in the future, and programs such as the Sakinah Campaign are similarly bound to multiply. Any strategy to combat the spread of extremism must also offer viable options for the religiously observant. Engaging with that segment of the population and offering alternatives to violent extremism is a critical necessity in the war of ideas. Encouraging local partners to take up this approach is vital, and the Saudi experience will be useful for others to study as they consider strategies to curb internet radicalization.

 

[Yusuf]

what are the odds that the yanks will outsource this too

Well we at DFI offer our services for the right price.