One belongs to the London-based Syrian cleric Abu Basir
al-Tartusi, whose www.abubaseer.bizland.com remained operative after he
condemned the London bombings.

Finger points to British intelligence as al-Qaeda websites are
wiped out



Over the past fortnight Israeli intelligence agents have
noticed something distinctly odd happening on the internet. One by one,
Al-Qaeda's affiliated websites have vanished until only a handful remain,
write Uzi Mahnaimi and Alex Pell.
Someone has cut the line of communication between the spiritual
leaders of international terrorism and their supporters. Since 9/11 the
websites have been the main links to disseminate propaganda and
information.



The Israelis detect the hand of British intelligence,
determined to torpedo the websites after the London attacks of July 7.

The web has become the new battleground of terrorism,
permitting a freedom of communication denied to such organisations as the
IRA a couple of decades ago.

One global jihad site terminated recently was an inflammatory
Pakistani site, www.mojihedun.com, in which a section entitled How to
Strike a European City gave full technical instructions. Tens of similar
sites, some offering detailed information on how to build and use
biological weapons, have also been shut down. However, Islamic sites
believed to be "moderate", remain.

One belongs to the London-based Syrian cleric Abu Basir
al-Tartusi, whose www.abubaseer.bizland.com remained operative after he
condemned the London bombings.

However, the scales remain weighted in favour of global jihad,
the first virtual terror organisation. For all the vaunted spying advances
such as tracking mobile phones and isolating key phrases in telephone
conversations, experts believe current technologies actually play into the
hands of those who would harm us.

"Modern technology puts most of the advantages in the hands of
the terrorists. That is the bottom line," says Professor Michael Clarke,
of King's College London, who is director of the International Policy
Institute.

Government-sponsored monitoring systems, such as Echelon, can
track vast amounts of data but have so far proved of minimal benefit in
preventing, or even warning, of attacks. And such systems are vulnerable
to manipulation: low-ranking volunteers in terrorist organisations can
create background chatter that ties up resources and maintains a threshold
of anxiety. There are many tricks of the trade that give terrorists secure
digital communication and leave no trace on the host computer.

Ironically, the most readily available sources of accurate
online information on bomb-making are the websites of the radical American
militia. "I have not seen any Al-Qaeda manuals that look like genuine
terrorist training," claims Clarke.

However, the sobering message of many security experts is that
the terrorists are unlikely ever to lose a war waged with technology.

Finger points to British intelligence as al-Qaeda websites are
wiped out



Over the past fortnight Israeli intelligence agents have

something distinctly odd happening on the internet. One by one, Al-Qaeda's
affiliated websites have vanished until only a handful remain, write Uzi
Mahnaimi and Alex Pell.
Someone has cut the line of communication between the

leaders of international terrorism and their supporters. Since 9/11 the
websites have been the main links to disseminate propaganda and

The Israelis detect the hand of British intelligence,

to torpedo the websites after the London attacks of July 7.

The web has become the new battleground of terrorism,

a freedom of communication denied to such organisations as the IRA a

of decades ago.

One global jihad site terminated recently was an inflammatory
Pakistani site, www.mojihedun.com, in which a section entitled How to

a European City gave full technical instructions. Tens of similar sites,
some offering detailed information on how to build and use biological
weapons, have also been shut down. However, Islamic sites believed to be
"moderate", remain.

One belongs to the London-based Syrian cleric Abu Basir
al-Tartusi, whose www.abubaseer.bizland.com remained operative after he
condemned the London bombings.

However, the scales remain weighted in favour of global jihad,
the first virtual terror organisation. For all the vaunted spying advances
such as tracking mobile phones and isolating key phrases in telephone
conversations, experts believe current technologies actually play into the
hands of those who would harm us.

"Modern technology puts most of the advantages in the hands of
the terrorists. That is the bottom line," says Professor Michael Clarke,

King's College London, who is director of the International Policy
Institute.

Government-sponsored monitoring systems, such as Echelon, can
track vast amounts of data but have so far proved of minimal benefit in
preventing, or even warning, of attacks. And such systems are vulnerable

manipulation: low-ranking volunteers in terrorist organisations can create
background chatter that ties up resources and maintains a threshold of
anxiety. There are many tricks of the trade that give terrorists secure
digital communication and leave no trace on the host computer.

Ironically, the most readily available sources of accurate
online information on bomb-making are the websites of the radical American
militia. "I have not seen any Al-Qaeda manuals that look like genuine
terrorist training," claims Clarke.

However, the sobering message of many security experts is that
the terrorists are unlikely ever to lose a war waged with technology.

Finger points to British intelligence as al-Qaeda websites are
wiped out