Nothing Virtual About It

<p>While it is no secret that Islamic terrorists utilize the internet the assertion that the internet is a virtual safe haven more important than any geographical safe haven is rarely made. As a result of the expansion of the Internet capabilities over the last two decades and the loss and disruption of geographic safe havens worldwide Islamic terrorists are now becoming all the more reliant upon the internet as a safe haven from which to recruit finance communicate train and survive to continue to conduct operations and further their cause. An examination of the geographical safe havens the emergence of the Internet in warfare and the adaptation of Al Qa'ida following 9/11 reveals how Al Qa'ida and other Islamic terrorist organizations have grown dependent on the Internet. A comparison between the capabilities that the Internet's cyberspace offers and what a geographic safe haven can provide suggests that in some functions the Internet is more effective and safer than physical space for Al Qa'ida and its affiliates. These conclusions lead to a discussion that the United States is ignoring a very real front in its efforts to disrupt dismantle and defeat al Qa'ida and its affiliates Islamic terrorists enjoy operating on the internet with minimal disruption and risk to accomplish many of the same tasks that used to require geographical space to conduct.</p><p>This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore you will see the original copyright references library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world) and other notations in the work.</p><p>This work is in the public domain in the United States of America and possibly other nations. Within the United States you may freely copy and distribute this work as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.</p><p>As a reproduction of a historical artifact this work may contain missing or blurred pages poor pictures errant marks etc. Scholars believe and we concur that this work is important enough to be preserved reproduced and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.</p>