Internet a boon for terrorists, expert testifies

By Sue Montgomery, The Gazette
February 17, 2009 6:01 PM

The Internet has become one of the most important tools for Al-Qa’ida and jihadists for recruiting, communicating and creating virtual cells and Saïd Namouh took full advantage of it, according to an American counter-terrorism expert who testified at the suspected terrorist’s trial Tuesday.

Rita Katz, co-founder of Search for International Terrorist Entities (SITE) Intelligence group that monitors jihad message boards on the internet in order to alert authorities, was called by the Crown to give her take on the myriad videos and messages RCMP officers found on Namouh’s computer when they arrested him in 2007 in a small Quebec town.

Although Katz’s testimony focused on the general behaviour of terrorists in the digital age, her 120-page report about Namouh, known as Ashraf online, and his involvement with the Global Islamic Meda Front, the propaganda arm of Al-Qa’ida, was submitted as evidence.

“Of all of Ashraf’s endeavors with GIMF, a sustained propaganda campaign...illustrates his seriousness and dedication to GIMF and the jihadist cause,” wrote Katz, an Iraqi-born Jew who speaks Arabic. “Furthermore, this campaign demonstrates that Ashraf criticized those who did not contribute to GIMF with the same fervor or quality as he did....”

Namouh, a Moroccan-born permanent resident who came to Canada in 2003, was living in Maskinongé, about 100 kilometres northeast of Montreal, when he was arrested on Sept. 13, 2007.

He is charged with conspiracy, participating in a terrorist group, facilitating the activities of a terrorist group and extortion for or on behalf of a terrorist group.