Statement of Intent
Are information Communication Technologies Responsible for Creating a Terrorist Threat?
The digital age has ignited a communication revolution but are extremist groups abusing this new technology in order to further their agenda and plan to cause harm to others?
I will look at the ways in which extremist militant groups and radical groups such as Al Qaeda and Hamas use information communication technologies in order to network and spread their radical ideas. My goal is to come to a conclusion on whether ICT is aiding extremism.
I will analyze case studies such as the report on the 7th July bombings in London in which the bombers communicated and were exposed to extremist literature and video online. Using Blogger.com I will attempt to create a forum on which issues are explored, the blog will feature links and shortcuts to articles on CNET news, Guardian.co.uk, Aljazeera.com and the website for the ICSR (International Centre for the Study of Radicalism), It will also feature links to documentaries on Channel 4 such as “Dispatches: Britain Under Attack” which explores the recent heightened terrorist threat level in the U.K and also how the internet is a vital component in networking for Al Qaeda.
I will also be looking at extremist groups that have their headquarters and operate within the U.K such as the British National Party and IRA, posting links to their forums and encouraging people to engage in debate on certain issues such as immigration, P.C culture and politics. My blog will also feature an interview with Mina Al Lami, a guardian contributor and expert in the field she recently conducted a study and did a thesis at London School of Economics on radical groups using information communication technologies in order to recruit new members. My blog will not only have links to other websites, as I intend to open up a dialogue on this rarely discussed issue I will publish it and encourage people to give their own opinions.
I will also be looking at extremist groups that have their headquarters and operate within the U.K such as the British National Party and IRA, posting links to their forums and encouraging people to engage in debate on certain issues such as immigration, P.C culture and politics. My blog will also feature an interview with Mina Al Lami, a guardian contributor and expert in the field she recently conducted a study and did a thesis at London School of Economics on radical groups using information communication technologies in order to recruit new members. My blog will not only have links to other websites, as I intend to open up a dialogue on this rarely discussed issue I will publish it and encourage people to give their own opinions.
I will also have a section entitled Freedom of Speech, under which I will post links to different laws in the U.K and U.S that attempt to combat this new form of “digital terrorism” and ask whether removing extremist websites is equivalent to violating freedom of speech. Is it a fruitless endeavor to shut down these websites as they will just spring up again or by shutting these websites down are the authorities temporarily crippling terrorist groups?
By connecting different extremist groups from around the world such as Hamas and Hezbollah has the digital age plunged us into a new era of terrorism like non other that we have ever seen? Finally after concluding my research I will include my own opinions on ICTS and terrorism and explore whether the benefits of the digital age outweigh the negative aspects, or whether the danger that we encounter due to the communication revolution is too heavy a price to pay.
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