The Counter-deception Blog
Examples of deceptions and descriptions of techniques to detect them. This Blog encourages the awareness of deception in daily life and discussion of practical means to spot probable deceptions. Send your examples of deception and counter-deception to colonel_stech@yahoo.com.Wednesday, September 07, 2005
“U.S. Shaken By Qaeda 007" -- Misdirection Hogwash
OMG!
He actually hacked the Web site of the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department?!?! I am terrified!
“U.S. Shaken By Qaeda 007”? Crap.
The New York Post article below is an excellent example of political misdirection and sophistry. As the Iraq and Katrina political hurricanes worsen, out comes--guess what!--transparent terrorism hogwash.
The very notion that you can "shut down the mysterious cyber-ghost" is inconsistent with the basic design of the Internet. The article is full of similar drivel.
Whenever media "reality based reporting" offends Administration noses, out comes terrorism and 9-11. The New York Post acts, in the parlance of deception tradecraft, like a "controlled source." "Qaeda 007" is a very weak distraction and this tactic of titillating misdirection has long outlived the public's forbearance.
New York Post September 6, 2005
U.S. Shaken By Qaeda 007 By Niles Lathem
WASHINGTON - U.S. counterterrorism authorities have been engaged for
months in a shadow war with a computer hacker extraordinaire who is
using cutting-edge technology to help al Qaeda and other jihad groups
with their vast Internet operations, The Post has learned.
Experts inside and outside the government confirmed in recent
interviews that an intensive effort has been under way for more than a
year to track and shut down the mysterious cyber-ghost, who identifies
himself as Irhabi 007 - or "Terrorist 007."
While officials said Irhabi 007 might not be a hardened al Qaeda
terrorist, they believe he is a vital cog in the jihadi network, which
relies on the Internet for communications, recruitment, fund-raising
and propaganda.
"We don't know whether Irhabi 007 is a man or woman - an al Qaeda
terrorist or a 16-year-old kid in a basement somewhere. But he is a
fairly important figure who is getting increasingly popular and has a
growing following," said terror expert Rita Katz, whose SITE Institute
monitors al Qaeda communications on the Internet.
The FBI has been investigating Irhabi 007 since July 2004, when the Web
site of the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department was hacked.
The site was transformed into an al Qaeda message board, and links were
posted that allowed visitors to view videotapes of Osama bin Laden and
tributes to the 9/11 hijackers.
The person who hacked into the Arkansas government site and posted the
links identified himself as Irhabi 007.
Terrorist expert Evan Kohlmann, who also monitors al Qaeda activities
on the Web, told The Post that Irhabi 007 played a key role in the
distribution and broadcast of the horrifying videotapes of the
beheading of American and other foreign hostages in Iraq by terror
master Abu Musab Zarqawi.
Irhabi 007 also is at the helm of the cat-and-mouse game with U.S.
other and Western intelligence agencies to keep al Qaeda's Web
operations up and running at a time when there is a massive effort to
shut down terrorist infrastructure on the Internet, Kohlmann said.
There is growing evidence 007 is in direct contact with the media wings
of several terror groups including Zarqawi's al Qaeda in Iraq, Kohlmann
said.
What's most intriguing about the case is that Irhabi 007 claims he is
U.S.-based, and may be an American.
He actually hacked the Web site of the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department?!?! I am terrified!
“U.S. Shaken By Qaeda 007”? Crap.
The New York Post article below is an excellent example of political misdirection and sophistry. As the Iraq and Katrina political hurricanes worsen, out comes--guess what!--transparent terrorism hogwash.
The very notion that you can "shut down the mysterious cyber-ghost" is inconsistent with the basic design of the Internet. The article is full of similar drivel.
Whenever media "reality based reporting" offends Administration noses, out comes terrorism and 9-11. The New York Post acts, in the parlance of deception tradecraft, like a "controlled source." "Qaeda 007" is a very weak distraction and this tactic of titillating misdirection has long outlived the public's forbearance.
New York Post September 6, 2005
U.S. Shaken By Qaeda 007 By Niles Lathem
WASHINGTON - U.S. counterterrorism authorities have been engaged for
months in a shadow war with a computer hacker extraordinaire who is
using cutting-edge technology to help al Qaeda and other jihad groups
with their vast Internet operations, The Post has learned.
Experts inside and outside the government confirmed in recent
interviews that an intensive effort has been under way for more than a
year to track and shut down the mysterious cyber-ghost, who identifies
himself as Irhabi 007 - or "Terrorist 007."
While officials said Irhabi 007 might not be a hardened al Qaeda
terrorist, they believe he is a vital cog in the jihadi network, which
relies on the Internet for communications, recruitment, fund-raising
and propaganda.
"We don't know whether Irhabi 007 is a man or woman - an al Qaeda
terrorist or a 16-year-old kid in a basement somewhere. But he is a
fairly important figure who is getting increasingly popular and has a
growing following," said terror expert Rita Katz, whose SITE Institute
monitors al Qaeda communications on the Internet.
The FBI has been investigating Irhabi 007 since July 2004, when the Web
site of the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department was hacked.
The site was transformed into an al Qaeda message board, and links were
posted that allowed visitors to view videotapes of Osama bin Laden and
tributes to the 9/11 hijackers.
The person who hacked into the Arkansas government site and posted the
links identified himself as Irhabi 007.
Terrorist expert Evan Kohlmann, who also monitors al Qaeda activities
on the Web, told The Post that Irhabi 007 played a key role in the
distribution and broadcast of the horrifying videotapes of the
beheading of American and other foreign hostages in Iraq by terror
master Abu Musab Zarqawi.
Irhabi 007 also is at the helm of the cat-and-mouse game with U.S.
other and Western intelligence agencies to keep al Qaeda's Web
operations up and running at a time when there is a massive effort to
shut down terrorist infrastructure on the Internet, Kohlmann said.
There is growing evidence 007 is in direct contact with the media wings
of several terror groups including Zarqawi's al Qaeda in Iraq, Kohlmann
said.
What's most intriguing about the case is that Irhabi 007 claims he is
U.S.-based, and may be an American.
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