31Oct2017testimony 2_layout 1 10 30 17 4 47 pm page 1 Prepared testimony of Michael S Smith II Terrorism Analyst Before the United States Senate Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism October 31 2017 Hearing titled Extremist Content and Russian Disinformation Online Working with Tech to Find Solutions 31Oct2017testimony 2_layout 1 10 30 17 4 47 pm page 2 Chairman Graham Ranking Member Whitehouse Distinguished Subcommittee Members and Staff I am honored by the opportunity to participate in this hearing concerning one of the most pressing challenges for America's national security The global influence operations being waged in the cyber domain by United States-designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations whose members have converted social media and file-sharing websites into tools used to incite violence against Americans and our allies As Islamic State members and supporters have issued threats against me on social media platforms like Twitter this issue is of both professional and personal interest to me Michael S Smith II Michael S Smith II is a terrorism analyst who specializes in the influence operations of Salafi-Jihadist groups like al-Qa'ida and Islamic State He is currently serving as an International Security Program Fellow at New America where his research is focused on terrorists' exploitations of social media platforms to recruit and incite violence far beyond their primary areas of operation In addition he is pursuing a doctorate in Communication at Georgia State University where his research foci include persuasion and terrorist propaganda produced to incite violence in the West Mr Smith received both his M A in Intelligence and Security Studies with distinction and honors and G C in Intelligence Analysis from The Citadel This testimony leverages both a report its author prepared for a closed briefing organized by Senator Lindsey Graham's office on September 13 2017 that was attended by Senator Graham Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and Senator Dianne Feinstein and a chapter on Islamic State prepared by the author for publication in The Routledge Handbook on the International Relations of the Middle East forthcoming OpiniOns expressed herein dO nOt reflect the views Of either new AmericA Or GeOrGiA stAte University 31Oct2017testimony 2_layout 1 10 30 17 4 47 pm page 3 Undeterred Islamic State's Global Online Recruitment and Incitement Campaign Prepared Testimony of Michael S Smith II For three years Islamic State has used popular social media and file-sharing sites to wage the most aggressive and effective global recruitment and incitement campaign of any terrorist group in history Since the group declared its so-called caliphate Islamic State supporters have executed more than a dozen attacks in the United States Europe Canada and Australia with the damage in aggregate dwarfing that of the single attack in the West claimed by al-Qa'ida during this period The surge of attacks executed in the West by individuals not trained in Islamic State's primary areas of operation indicates this terrorist group has achieved a power of persuasion sufficient to remotely accelerate the radicalization process culminating in a resort to violence Meanwhile American companies whose technologies have been used by Islamic State and other terrorist groups to expand their capabilities to recruit and incite violence have yet to develop countermeasures which effectively deter terrorists from continually exploiting their technologies This situation highlights there is a need to do more to disrupt foreign terrorist groups' reach into our homeland through the cyber domain--a largely ungoverned space from which terrorists have mobilized attacks against Americans 31Oct2017testimony 2_layout 1 10 30 17 4 47 pm page 4 2 of 12 A View to Terrorists' Persistent Global Reach in the Cyber Domain While Islamic State's online recruitment and incitement program has generated a surge of counterterrorism casework in the United States it is important for policymakers to consider Islamic State is not the only terrorist group harnessing technologies made available by American companies like Twitter Facebook and Alphabet to build and reinforce support while calling for attacks targeting Americans and our allies Since 2014 al-Qa'ida has persisted with its exploitations of these companies' technologies to promote publications like Inspire and addresses by senior al-Qa'ida figures which have included appeals for the group's sympathizers to execute attacks in the United States and elsewhere in the West It is also important for policymakers to consider this phenomenon is not new--nor was it unforeseen Since 2014 Islamic State has taken the global engagement program in the cyber domain developed years earlier by American-born al-Qa'ida cleric Anwar al-Awlaki d 2011 to new heights That program emphasized enhancing the ease of access to propaganda tailored to persuade wouldbe terrorists to execute attacks far beyond al-Qa'ida's primary areas of operation Concurrently for al-Qa'ida's sympathizers here in the West that program enhanced the ease of access to actual group members like al-Awlaki who could then engage in more direct efforts to persuade sympathizers to execute attacks targeting Americans and our allies Years before al-Awlaki converted a blog and increasingly popular social media and file-sharing technologies offered by Facebook and YouTube into tools used to help persuade sympathizers to execute attacks like the one at Fort Hood in 2009 policymakers and the public were warned this type of activity could emerge in the cyber domain For example during a 2004 House Armed Services Committee hearing focused on the important work of denying terrorists sanctuaries from which they may plan and manage attacks against the United States and our allies Assistant Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz warned about the potential of terrorist groups developing so-called cyber sanctuaries 1 Indeed the emergence of large pro-Islamic State networks on American companies' social media platforms in the months following the declaration of the group's so-called caliphate in mid-2014 highlighted persistent deficiencies in strategic analysis against terrorist elements calling for attacks in the United States on the parts of American social media companies By this time the exploitation of these companies' technologies by terrorist groups calling for attacks targeting Americans and our allies was a years-old problem Further when Islamic State simultaneously declared its so-called caliphate and demanded members of all other groups like al-Qa'ida that have been striving to revive a caliphal model of governance pledge bayat allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi Twitter was a logical place for Islamic State to compete with al-Qa'ida for influence 2 In the fall of 2014 the primary Twitter account used to promote addresses by al-Qa'ida's senior-most figures had a following 1 H A S C No 108-36 Denying Terrorist Sanctuaries Policy and Operational Implications for the U S Military Hearing before the Committee on Armed Services House of Representatives 108th Cong Testimony of Paul Wolfowitz 2004 Retrieved July 12 2017 http commdocs house gov committees security has223002 000 has223002_0 HTM 2 Public declaration of the caliphate in Abu Mohamed al-Adnani This Is the Promise of Allah Al-Furqan Islamic State Trans Al-Hayat Islamic State June 29 2014 31Oct2017testimony 2_layout 1 10 30 17 4 47 pm page 5 3 of 12 of more than 20 000 accounts 3 In addition the account used by one of al-Qa'ida's senior-most figures active in the Syrian Jihad Sanafi al-Nasr d 2015 a member of the so-called Khorasan Group had a following of more than 19 000 accounts 4 Since then social media and file-sharing companies' increasingly-aggressive accounts suspension and content removal campaigns have failed to deter continued use of their technologies to encourage support for Islamic State In 2016 analysts at the National Counterterrorism Center reported Islamic State members and supporters demonstrated particular affinity for Twitter 5 The massive presence of Islamic State supporters on Twitter was highlighted in a February 2016 blog post by the company in which Twitter reported more than 125 000 accounts had been suspended since mid-2015 for threatening or promoting terrorist acts primarily related to ISIS 6 Yet as highlighted two months later in a Wall Street Journal report that covered some of my work tracking Islamic State's influence operation on Twitter Islamic State members and supporters were not deterred by this suspension campaign 7 Instead they were touting as credentials the number of times their accounts had been suspended including the number in the handle for each successive account As was also highlighted in this report an Islamic State propagandist who had achieved prominence in the community of Islamic State supporters active on Twitter advised me the suspension campaign had the effect of increasing his determination to exploit Twitter's technologies in furtherance of Islamic State's agenda Whereas managers of popular pro-Islamic State Twitter accounts could attract more than 10 000 followers in 2015 during the past year Twitter's expanded efforts identifying and suspending clusters of accounts used to promote Islamic State propaganda and amplify incitement-focused narratives therein has substantially reduced the lifespans of most accounts used for such purposes Since then officials like Michael Lumpkin who served as director of the State Department's Global Engagement Center have painted dubitable pictures of a reduction in Islamic State's online influence capacity 8 Indeed it is unlikely managers of most accounts used to identify and initiate contact with prospective recruits who may eventually be mobilized to execute attacks in the West will tweet hashtags used to advertise Islamic State propaganda or amplify the group's calls for attacks here Engaging in these activities that may easily be tracked on social media sites could expose their pursuits of more important objectives than merely promoting Islamic State propaganda on Twitter such as identifying prospective recruits who can help operationalize attack plots in the West 3 Screenshots in Michael S Smith II Social Media Jihad Presentation delivered during the National Sheriffs' Association's NC-SC Counterterrorism Conference North Charleston SC February 15-17 2016 Slide 22 http kronosadvisory com nc sc ct conf socialmediajihadpresentationremarks pdf 4 Ibid 5 NCTC Counterterrorism Calendar 2016 p 8 6 Twitter Inc Combating Violent Extremism February 5 2016 Retrieved July 7 2017 https blog twitter com official en_us a 2016 combating-violent-extremism html 7 Christopher S Stewart Mark Maremont Twitter and ISIS Deadlock on Social Media Battlefield The Wall Street Journal April 13 2016 8 For example See Lumpkin in Bradley Klapper AP Islamic State's Twitter traffic drops amid US Efforts The Associated Press July 9 2016 Retrieved July 12 2017 http www bigstory ap org article 21c9eb68e6294bdfa0a099a0632b8056 ap-exclusive-islamic-states-twitter-trafficplunges 31Oct2017testimony 2_layout 1 10 30 17 4 47 pm page 6 4 of 12 Other notable deficiencies are evinced by policies of Alphabet Despite events of recent years highlighting an increase in threats to global security posed by Salafi-Jihadist groups like al-Qa'ida and Islamic State Alphabet has permitted publication and distribution of videos containing guidance provided by Salafi-Jihadist clerics like Anwar al-Awlaki via YouTube and Google Drive While al-Awlaki is a name many Americans are familiar with they are less familiar with the name Turki al-Bin'ali a senior-most Islamic State cleric who was killed earlier this year Like videos featuring guidance from al-Awlaki videos featuring guidance from al-Bin'ali also remain easy to find on YouTube A basic search on YouTube for al-Bin'ali in Arabic will direct interested parties to this content Whether focused on such seemingly banal topics as appropriate attire for female Muslims 9 or important topics in Islamic history like the jihad waged by the Salaf first three generations of Muslims as they rapidly transformed the original Islamic state established by the Prophet Mohamed and his companions into one of the largest empires in world history 10 or the blessings in the afterlife bestowed upon Muslims who die while fighting to defend their faith 11 these videos help generate buy-in for Salafiyya Jihadiyya Salafiyya Jihadiyya is the ideology which informs the agendas of al-Qa'ida Islamic State and other terrorist groups comprising the Global Jihad movement Participants in this movement self-identify as Sunni Muslims and claim to be striving to revive the pure faith vis-a-vis restoration of the caliphate which has throughout Sunni Islam's history been viewed as a symbol of the faith's practice par excellence For adherents of this intensely orthopraxic ideology faith is demonstrated by actions Chief among the actions prescribed by proponents of Salafiyya Jihadiyya is jihad or what we call terrorism According to the director of Alphabet's think tank Jigsaw if videos featuring guidance from Salafi-Jihadist clerics like al-Awlaki do not contain explicit threats of violence or hate speech they do not violate Alphabet's policies Clearly experts in countering violent extremism employed by Alphabet have failed to consider the following The ideology these materials are used to generate buy-in for imbues adherents with a sense of urgency to defend their faith vis-a-vis support for 9 Anwar al-Awlaki Why is Hijab only for women Published by manager s of YouTube channel titled MuslimPreachers on May 8 2012 Viewed more than 40 000 times when retrieved on July 8 2017 https www youtube com watch v gv0_wMIA9Fk Screenshot archived by Michael S Smith II at DOWNRANGE https insidethejihad com wp-content uploads 2017 10 Screen-Shot-2017-07-08-at-9 48 35-AM png See also clip of al-Awlaki's guidance for women 2 05-2 39 in Women In Islam--A Message To All Women Published by manager s of YouTube channel titled The Daily Reminder on February 4 2013 Viewed more than 170 000 times when retrieved on July 8 2017 https www youtube com watch v UOqRHYCMozg 10 Anwar al-Awlaki Was Islam Spread By The Sword Published by manager s of YouTube channel titled MABaig1989 on October 12 2011 Viewed more than 47 000 times when retrieved on July 8 2017 https www youtube com watch v xitkIrUvyZ8 Screenshot archived by Michael S Smith II at DOWNRANGE https insidethejihad com wp-content uploads 2017 10 Screen-Shot-2017-07-08-at-9 46 38-AM png 11 Anwar al-Awlaki One of the Prophet's Scariest Dreams Published by manager s of YouTube channel titled Companions Of Prophets on October 22 2014 Viewed more than 427 000 times when retrieved on July 8 2017 https www youtube com watch v 4r_scr14SLU Screenshot archived by Michael S Smith II at DOWNRANGE https insidethejihad com wp-content uploads 2017 10 Screen-Shot-2017-07-08-at-9 24 32-AM png 31Oct2017testimony 2_layout 1 10 30 17 4 47 pm page 7 5 of 12 terrorism campaigns waged against Americans and our allies Presently YouTube and other popular American file-sharing sites like Google Drive as well as Internet Archive Archive org a United States-based nonprofit organizations that hosts one of the Internet's largest digital libraries remain preferred tools for distribution of Islamic State propaganda From Google Drive and Archive org Islamic State supporters can do more than just consume this propaganda they may also download copies and then help to further proliferate Islamic State videos by posting additional copies at popular sites like YouTube once other copies are removed Islamic State's Propaganda Machine Shaping Perceptions to Influence Behaviors Islamic State has more aggressively utilized social media platforms and file-sharing websites to achieve global broadcasting capabilities for its propaganda than any other terrorist groups active today All of this material is carefully produced to engineer a variety of perceptions of Islamic State within three key segments of its global audience whose members' behaviors the group seeks to influence Acquired supporters prospective recruits and enemies whom Islamic State seeks to terrorize For acquired and prospective supporters Islamic State propaganda is tailored to build perceptions of the group as being worthy of support by emphasizing such themes as strength and durability Often by way of omission of information concerning setbacks encountered by the group this propaganda is used to portray Islamic State as a group that is successfully combatting its betterequipped and technologically-superior enemies For acquired and prospective supporters this enhances the perceptibility of Islamic State's bold effort to revive the caliphate as being a manifestation of divine providence Ultimately such perceptions enable Islamic State to persuade certain consumers of its propaganda to engage in a variety of actions in furtherance of its agenda such as executing attacks here in the West Each day the torrent of newly-produced Islamic State propaganda distributed online typically consists of more than a dozen spot reports--including claims for attacks in the Levant and beyond-- sitreps from battle zones photo packets and videos of varying lengths These materials are produced by not only Islamic State's Amaq Agency news service but also media offices belonging to the group's 35 wilayat provinces 16 of which according to an Islamic State video highlighting the structure of the caliphate are located beyond Iraq and Syria 12 In addition to the group's daily distribution of propaganda pieces documenting Islamic State members' activities in jihad theaters spanning from West Africa to the Philippines along with pleasantries of daily life in the caliphate other official propaganda continues to be produced at a higher frequency than the group's lengthy videos featuring staged executions and calls for attacks in the West An important example being Islamic State's weekly Arabic-language newspaper al-Naba Given that Islamic State has claimed responsibility for more attacks than any other terrorist group since 2014--with its Amaq Agency news service reporting Islamic State members executed more than 1 100 suicide bombings in Iraq and Syria alone during 201613--the group's propaganda is 12 The Structure of the Khilafah Al-Furqan Islamic State July 2016 13 Amaq Agency infographic archived by Michael S Smith II at DOWNRANGE https insidethejihad com wp-content uploads 2017 04 Screen-Shot-2017-01-16-at-10 24 47-PM-copy png 31Oct2017testimony 2_layout 1 10 30 17 4 47 pm page 8 6 of 12 also used to portray Islamic State as the most dedicated and competent threat to the United States and its allies of all Salafi-Jihadist groups who share the goal of reviving a caliphal model of governance including al-Qa'ida under its current leadership Another aspect of Islamic State's efforts to outbid al-Qa'ida and other Salafi-Jihadist groups for support entails portraying al-Qa'ida's current leaders and al-Qa'ida-affiliated clerics like Abu Mohamed al-Maqdisi based in Jordan as hypocrites who have deviated from Usama bin Ladin's manhaj methodology 14 Also in its official propaganda Islamic State has claimed it is stewarding the jihad charted by bin Ladin in which attacks targeting Americans were important tools used to endear al-Qa'ida to some residents of the Muslim world whose worldviews have been shaped by longstanding grievances concerning unIslamic Western influence in so-called historically Muslim lands 15 In relation to Islamic State's efforts engineering and then leveraging perceptions of its leadership status within the Global Jihad movement to persuade a resort to violence among supporters here in the West it is also important to consider that in claiming to have achieved al-Qa'ida's chief goal of reviving the caliphate Islamic State has literally been peddling utopia--not just opportunities to support terrorism campaigns intended to establish conditions which according to al-Qa'ida's leaders will eventually make it possible for the caliphate to be restored Meanwhile unlike members of many entities which have been designated as terrorist organizations by the United States and our allies Islamic State members have explicitly defined themselves as terrorists within the group's official propaganda For example in the video titled Kill Them Wherever You Find Them that features missives from several participants in the November 2015 Paris attacks Abdelhamid Abaaoud d 2015 who helped guide this and earlier plots in Europe advises emphasis added So if you have sent your 'Hunter' fighter jets to bomb the Muslims then know that the Islamic State has sent to you 'hunters' who thirst for the blood of the disbelievers hunters who will not hesitate to slaughter you For we are terrorists 16 Islamic State has also explicitly embraced its status as a terrorist group in other ways Notably in the fourteenth issue of Islamic State's flagship online English-language publication Dabiq the group asserted such expressions as Terrorism is not Islam and Terrorism has no religion should be viewed as slogans of apostasy 17 In other words according to the group's takfirist logic Muslims who deny Islamic State's terrorism campaigns reflect adherence to their professed faith and early traditions of the faithful are themselves legitimate targets for attacks 18 14 In an April 2014 address then ISIS spokesman Abu Mohamed al-Adnani who rebranded the group as Islamic State when he declared its caliphate in June 2014 argued al-Qa'ida's leadership had deviated from bin Ladin's manhaj and al-Qa'ida is no longer the base of jihad This Is Not Our Manhaj Nor Will It Ever Be Al-Furqan Islamic State April 17 2014 This address was later cited in an article published in Dabiq 7 Al-Hayat Islamic State February 2015 p 25 More recently in Islamic State's publication Rumiyah which has replaced Dabiq in the group's propaganda products mix the vociferously anti-Semitic group referred to al-Qa'ida's current leader Ayman al-Zawahiri and his friend al-Maqdisi as Jews of Jihad Rumiyah 8 Al-Hayat Islamic State April 2017 pp 42-43 15 Dabiq 7 February 2015 p 25 16 Kill Them Wherever You Find Them Al-Hayat Islamic State January 2016 17 Dabiq 14 April 2016 p 14 18 Takfir is the contentious practice that entails accusations of apostasy which may warrant capital punishment 31Oct2017testimony 2_layout 1 10 30 17 4 47 pm page 9 7 of 12 Indeed it is important for policymakers to consider that by fashioning theirs as a terrorist group even if denied capabilities to govern Islamic State's leaders could preserve the perceptibility of the group as a legitimate enterprise that is worthy of continued support If that is group members continue executing attacks in the Muslim world while persuading individuals not trained by the group to do the same here in the West Furthermore while increased pressure on the group in Iraq Syria and other areas appears to be degrading its capabilities to produce the volume of propaganda distributed in previous years it is a risk to public safety for counterterrorism practitioners to equate a slowdown in production of Islamic State propaganda with a reduction in the group's influence capacity here in the West The Push for Attacks in the United States Europe Canada and Australia Since 2014 the following has been among the most prominent sets of narratives echoed throughout the torrent of propaganda materials distributed online by Islamic State that have been tailored for audiences here in the West According to religious texts and traditions all Sunni Muslims are obligated to pledge allegiance to the so-called caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi Yet one's allegiance is not affirmed by mere words Instead allegiance to al-Baghdadi is demonstrated with actions Either emigrating into the so-called caliphate to help the group defend and expand its territorial holdings or executing attacks at home In May 2015 al-Baghdadi converted this narratives set already echoed throughout Islamic State propaganda into an official set of directives issued by the group's so-called Emir al-Muminin Commander of the Faithful a title historically reserved for caliphs that reflects their superior rank over all Muslims And we call upon every Muslim in every place to perform hijrah emigrate to the Islamic State or fight in his land wherever that may be 19 That Islamic State's original spokesman Abu Mohamed al-Adnani d 2016 was simultaneously managing the group's external operations when he publicly declared Islamic State had established a caliphate in June 2014 indicated terrorism campaigns beyond Iraq and Syria would factor importantly in the group's work shaping perceptions of it So too did the contents of an address by al-Adnani that was distributed online in September 2014 in which he called for attacks in Europe the United States Canada and Australia--targeting police intelligence and security personnel as well as civilians 20 Weeks later in the issue of Dabiq published in October 2014 the group advised it is very important that attacks take place in every country that has entered into the alliance against the Islamic State especially the US UK France Australia and Germany the citizens of crusader nations should be targeted wherever they can be found 21 The contents of this article also indicated spilling the blood of Westerners is viewed by Islamic State leaders as a credential that can help the group outbid al-Qa'ida for support Therein the group advised it is imperative that such attacks be firmly attributed to Islamic State Every Muslim should get out of his house find a crusader and kill him It is important that the 19 Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi March Forth Whether Light or Heavy Al-Furqan Islamic State Trans Al-Hayat Islamic State May 14 2015 20 Abu Mohamed al-Adnani Indeed Your Lord Is Ever Watchful Al-Furqan Islamic State Trans Al-Hayat Islamic State September 21 2014 21 Dabiq 4 October 2014 p 44 31Oct2017testimony 2_layout 1 10 30 17 4 47 pm page 10 8 of 12 killing becomes attributed to patrons of the Islamic State who have obeyed its leadership Otherwise crusader media makes such attacks appear to be random killings 22 During the past two years in propaganda tailored to support Islamic State's courtship of would-be terrorists in the West the group has emphasized the importance of executing attacks at home versus attempting to emigrate into the caliphate While calling on Islamic State supporters in the United States and Europe to execute attacks at home in his 2016 Ramadan address al-Adnani advised the smallest acts against so-called disbelievers in Europe and the United States are more beloved to the group's leadership than the work underway in the caliphate Posted to popular filesharing sites like YouTube and aggressively promoted on Twitter with a hashtag campaign 23 this address preceded a spate of attacks perpetrated by Islamic State supporters in the West during Ramadan-- beginning with the attack at Pulse nightclub in Orlando Florida In addition to petitioning for attacks in the West Islamic State propaganda has been used to devolve directions concerning ideal targets for attacks here along with guidance concerning weaponry for use in these attacks such as cars large trucks and knives 24 Like al-Qa'ida Islamic State has also used its propaganda to transfer to would-be terrorists in the West knowledge of how to produce explosives for use in mass-casualty attacks For example in a video produced by the Raqqah wilayah media office that was distributed online in November 2016--a single copy of which containing English subtitles was viewed on YouTube more than 1 100 times before it was removed25--Islamic State provided a demonstration of how to produce an explosive known as white ice 26 Various major news organizations have reported British authorities believe the Islamic State supporter responsible for the May 2017 attack in Manchester targeting attendees of a pop music concert may have gathered information about how to develop the bomb he detonated by watching a video posted to YouTube As children were targeted in this second Islamic State attack in Europe targeting attendees of a concert performed by American musicians the first being the concert targeted during the November 2015 Paris attacks it is useful to consider in the months prior to the Manchester attack Islamic State had increasingly incorporated images of children injured and killed in strikes targeting the group within its propaganda to encourage supporters to execute retributive attacks 27 More 22 Ibid 23 Screenshots and discussion in Michael S Smith II Social Media Jihad 2 0 Inside ISIS' Global Recruitment and Incitement Campaign New America January 18 2017 20 10 Footage viewable at https www newamerica org international-security events social-media-jihad-20 24 See Abu Mohamed al-Adnani Indeed Your Lord Is Ever Watchful Al-Furqan Islamic State Trans Al-Hayat Islamic State September 21 2014 See also Rumiyah 3 November 2016 pp 10-12 See also the truck attack instructions provided in Rumiyah repurposed in the video We Will Surely Guide Them To Our Ways Ninawah Wilayah Media Office Islamic State May 2017 Screenshot of video posted to YouTube on date of release archived by Michael S Smith II at DOWNRANGE https insidethejihad com wp-content uploads 2017 09 Screen-Shot-2017-05-17-at-11 51 46-AM-copy png 25 Screenshot archived by Michael S Smith II at DOWNRANGE https insidethejihad com wp-content uploads 2017 09 Screen-Shot-2016-11-26-at-2 01 45-PM-copy png 26 You Must Fight Them O Muwahid Ar-Raqqah Wilayah Media Office Islamic State November 26 2016 27 Screenshots and discussion in Michael S Smith II Social Media Jihad 2 0 Inside ISIS' Global Recruitment and Incitement Campaign New America January 18 2017 35 35 31Oct2017testimony 2_layout 1 10 30 17 4 47 pm page 11 9 of 12 recently children injured and killed in strikes targeting Islamic State members in the group's capital of Raqqa were used as props in a video distributed on July 3 2017 that featured an Australian Islamic State physician encouraging the group's sympathizers in the United States to execute attacks 28 A single copy of this video produced to incite retributive attacks in the United States was viewed more than 900 times on YouTube within hours of its release 29 Functionally Islamic State propaganda is used for other important purposes Notably gruesome spectacles in high-production quality videos documenting executions of Islamic State's prisoners can be used as tools to psychologically condition would-be terrorists who may require repeated exposure to graphic scenes of violence to develop comfort levels sufficient to prepare them to perpetrate similar violent crimes An important example being the aforementioned video containing a demonstration of how to produce an explosive which also contained both calls for attacks in the West and a gruesome lengthy demonstration of how to kill using knives 30 This video was distributed using popular file-sharing sites two days before the sixth attack in the United States explicitly claimed by Islamic State which occurred on The Ohio State University's campus and entailed use of a car and a knife as weapons As noted within hours of its release a single copy of this video published at YouTube was viewed more than 1 100 times 31 I assess Islamic State continues incorporating scenes of children executing the group's prisoners in its propaganda to highlight for fence sitters --in other words those who have yet to demonstrate their allegiance to Islamic State's leader by either emigrating into the caliphate or executing attacks at home--how easy it is to execute the simple attacks in the West called for by the group A notable example being a video distributed using popular file-sharing sites like YouTube and Google Drive in January 2017 that contains scenes of a toddler executing a prisoner by shooting him in the head 32 More recently in July 2017 the group distributed a video using these same file-sharing websites that featured more graphic scenes of prepubescent boys beheading Islamic State prisoners 33 Much like the omission of setbacks encountered by the group in most of its propaganda use of children in propaganda may dually help engineer the perceptibility of Islamic State as a durable enterprise--one capable of challenging so-called apostate governments of the Middle East and their allies in the West for generations to come Social Media A Tool Used to Expand Terrorists' Capabilities to Threaten Americans and Our Allies In addition to being used as broadcast tools for links to propaganda published at sites like YouTube social media sites like the one managed by Twitter have been used by Islamic State members 28 Fertile Nation 2 Ar-Raqqah Wilayah Media Office Islamic State July 2017 29 Screenshot archived by Michael S Smith II at DOWNRANGE https insidethejihad com wp-content uploads 2017 09 Screen-Shot-2017-07-03-at-8 11 37-PM-copy png 30 You Must Fight Them O Muwahid Ar-Raqqah Wilayah Media Office Islamic State November 2016 31 Screenshots and discussion in Michael S Smith II Social Media Jihad 2 0 Inside ISIS' Global Recruitment and Incitement Campaign New America January 18 2017 31 30 32 Ibid 34 40 33 They Left Their Beds Empty Jazirah Wilayah Media Office Islamic State July 2017 31Oct2017testimony 2_layout 1 10 30 17 4 47 pm page 12 10 of 12 to network with people who may be remotely groomed to execute attacks here in the West or help promote hit lists containing targets for attacks This can easily be accomplished on social media platforms when prospective recruits retweet like favorite as well as make favorable comments about postings containing both links to and excerpts of not only Islamic State propaganda but also materials produced by other Salafi-Jihadist elements which express similar aspirations and grievances concerning Western influence in the Muslim world For example Islamic State recruiters like Sally Jones a British national designated a specially-designated global terrorist by the United States have used Twitter accounts to promote materials by Anwar al-Awlaki 34 whose mantle much like that of Usama bin Ladin has been appropriated by Islamic State in official propaganda 35 Here it is important to consider it has likely been easy for Islamic State recruiters to draw enthusiasts of al-Awlaki's guidance residing in the West into Islamic State's sphere of influence Because unlike al-Qa'ida which has historically been selective about who may join its ranks Islamic State is calling for all Sunni Muslims to join it Islamic State recruiters like Jones' late husband Junaid Hussain d 2015 have also used social media accounts to advertise their contact information on user-friendly end-to-end encrypted texting apps such as Telegram Messenger 36 Hussain was an infamous British hacker turned terrorist whose hand was evident in several successful and failed attacks in the United States Among these was the second attack in the homeland claimed by Islamic State which targeted participants in a Prophet Mohamed cartoon drawing contest hosted in Garland Texas in May 2015 37 Following this attack Islamic State provided further encouragement for its supporters to use social media to demonstrate their support for the group by publishing in Dabiq a screenshot of a tweet by one of the terrorists responsible for the Garland attack 38 In this tweet posted just before the attack Nadir Soofi advised both he and the other terrorist responsible for this attack had pledged allegiance to al-Baghdadi As FBI officials have suggested it is problematic for Islamic State supporters to have expressed affinity for deceased al-Qa'ida figures like al-Awlaki it is useful to consider the profile image Soofi used for this Twitter account was an image of al-Awlaki In 2015 Twitter was used by Junaid Hussain Sally Jones and other Islamic State members comprising the Islamic State Hacking Division along with group supporters in the United States to promote hit lists containing information which could be used to locate more than 1 000 American 34 Screenshots and discussion in Michael S Smith II Social Media Jihad 2 0 Inside ISIS' Global Recruitment and Incitement Campaign New America January 18 2017 9 07 35 For example of Islamic State appropriating al-Awlaki's mantle in official propaganda See Dabiq 4 October 2014 p 43 For example of Islamic State appropriating bin Ladin's mantle See Dabiq 4 pp 43-44 See also Dabiq 7 February 2015 p 25 Note In this article published in the seventh issue of Dabiq Islamic State is referencing al-Adnani's assertion that al-Qa'ida under its current leadership is no longer the base of jihad in Abu Mohamed al-Adnani This Is Not Our Manhaj Nor Will It Ever Be Al-Furqan Islamic State April 17 2014 36 Screenshots and discussion in Michael S Smith II Social Media Jihad 2 0 Inside ISIS' Global Recruitment and Incitement Campaign New America January 18 2017 11 04 37 The first attack in the United States claimed by Islamic State was executed in New York in October 2014 by Zale Thompson who targeted police officers with a hatchet See claim in Dabiq 5 November 2014 p 37 38 Dabiq 9 May 2015 p 4 31Oct2017testimony 2_layout 1 10 30 17 4 47 pm page 13 11 of 12 national security personnel 39 Also in 2015 Islamic State members and supporters rigorously tweeted home addresses of current and former senior officials from America's national security enterprise including then Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and then CIA Director John Brennan 40 In addition Islamic State members and supporters have crowd sourced threat campaigns on social media platforms like Twitter against American terrorism analysts and journalists who cover the group's activities The day before the attack at Pulse nightclub in Orlando I was the target of one such campaign organized on an invitation-only Telegram Messenger channel that I had infiltrated 41 Therein members were instructed to issue threats against me on Twitter During the past year similar threats against me have been made on Telegram channels and chatrooms as well as on Twitter Although Twitter Facebook YouTube and other sites have increased their efforts suspending pro-Islamic State accounts and removing Islamic State propaganda Islamic State propagandists managing Telegram channels that have become primary initial points of distribution for official Islamic State propaganda continue encouraging group supporters to help with proliferating these materials on easier-to-access spaces of the cyber domain During 2017 managers of Islamic State-linked Nashir News Telegram channels have repeatedly encouraged individuals with access to these dark spaces of the cyber domain to help the group reach a larger audience by posting copies of newly-released propaganda on sites like YouTube and then promoting links to the material on Twitter and Facebook 42 In June 2017 managers of these channels also encouraged use of popular social media platforms to support an information operation aiming to counter news reports suggesting the caliphate is collapsing Further during 2017 managers of these channels continued advertising links to Nashir News Twitter accounts used to promote Islamic State propaganda In persisting with their use of Twitter Islamic State propagandists are providing an example of activities they intend for Islamic State enthusiasts here in the West to emulate Thereby making it easier for recruiters to identify them and initiate efforts to persuade them to do more to demonstrate their support for Islamic State than simply augmenting its propaganda distribution program A More Effective Approach to Disrupting Threats Emanating from American Companies' Popular Social Media and File-Sharing Websites In addition to global broadcasting capabilities and worldwide connectivity with acquired and prospective supporters there are other factors which make most popular social media and file-sharing sites attractive tools for terrorists Notably most popular social media and file-sharing companies allow account managers whose identities are unknown to them to simultaneously use various technologies such as virtual private networks VPNs and specialized browsers like Tor to mask their physical locations when active on their popular sites This translates to an absence of risks encountered by 39 Screenshots and discussion in Michael S Smith II Social Media Jihad 2 0 Inside ISIS' Global Recruitment and Incitement Campaign New America January 18 2017 14 17 40 Ibid 15 54 41 Ibid 17 59 42 Screenshot of example from April 2017 archived by Michael S Smith II at DOWNRANGE https insidethejihad com wp-content uploads 2017 10 Screen-Shot-2017-04-25-at-1 35 18-PM-copy-2 png 31Oct2017testimony 2_layout 1 10 30 17 4 47 pm page 14 12 of 12 Islamic State propagandists recruiters and supporters sufficient to deter them from continuing to exploit these companies' technologies 43 Since 2015 Islamic State propagandists and supporters have promoted the uses of tools like VPNs to achieve a form of operational security when active online Just after the March 2016 attacks in Brussels managers of a pro-Islamic State technical support team Telegram channel reminded the brothers in Belgium of the group's online security protocols 44 More recently an example of the promotion of these tools in official Islamic State propaganda emerged in the tenth issue of the group's flagship French-language publication Dar al-Islam 45 When recruiters propagandists and prospective recruits are using the right VPNs while active on social media sites or posting propaganda on file-sharing sites it may be impossible for investigators to identify their physical locations after suspicious or illegal activity is detected The same applies to a long list of other illicit actors ranging from parties engaging in forms of cyber bullying of interest to First Lady Melania Trump to agents of Russia's influence operations tasked with encouraging American voters to consume fake news designed to shape their perceptions of presidential candidates To deter violations of its policies such as defacing pages about high-profile public figures and issuing terroristic threats the popular online encyclopedia Wikipedia has blocked editorial controls for parties seeking to alter or add content to its popular site when using most VPNs to mask their physical locations As Wikipedia is hardly a technology innovator when compared to American giants of social media and file-sharing industries like Twitter Facebook and Alphabet it stands to reason these companies could develop similar policies to deter an array of illicit activities on popular spaces of the Internet managed by them Indeed deficiencies evinced by the policies of such American companies as Twitter Facebook and Alphabet have effectively enabled terrorist groups like Islamic State to expand their capabilities to recruit and incite violence against Americans and our allies As United States-based companies are not doing all they possibly can to mitigate threats emanating from spaces of the Internet managed by them prudence welcomes policymakers and regulatory bodies like the Federal Communications Commission examining policies which could be imposed on largely self-regulated American giants of social media and file-sharing industries Yet it is meanwhile important for policymakers to be aware that according to the National Security Council staffer tasked with drafting the forthcoming United States National Security Strategy legislative efforts aiming to impose new regulations on these companies are likely to be viewed within the executive branch as being anathema to the Trump administration's agenda despite problems for national security which may arise from lax oversight of social media and online file-sharing industries 46 43 Michael S Smith II Containing ISIS' Online Campaigns After Manchester The Simple Tools We Can Use But Choose Not To Foreign Affairs May 27 2017 See also Michael S Smith II How to beat ISIS on Twitter The Christian Science Monitor May 27 2016 https www csmonitor com World Passcode Passcode-Voices 2016 0527 Opinion-How-to-beat-ISIS-on-Twitter 44 Screenshots and discussion in Michael S Smith II Social Media Jihad 2 0 Inside ISIS' Global Recruitment and Incitement Campaign New America January 18 2017 13 10 45 Dar al-Islam 10 Al-Hayat Islamic State August 2016 pp 38-46 46 Referencing comments made by this NSC staffer during a conference call with the author on September 18 2017                     National Security Archive    Suite 701  Gelman Library  The George Washington University    2130 H Street  NW  Washington  D C  20037    Phone  202 994‐7000  Fax  202 994‐7005  nsarchiv@gwu edu