“Information warfare” between ISIS and world community

It is known that who owns the information – owns the world. In the modern era of hi-tech and transparency this truth becomes even more relevant.

Methods of “information warfare” are used by not only government structures but separate movements as well. In some cases, entire nations might bite the dust on the field of such “ideological battles”. The same happened with the Soviet Union. Its communist platform incurred the powerful “information attack” from western states, which it could not stand and was defeated. It is hardly possible to find enough people who are keen to return the communist ideas.

21 century brought the new round of “ideological battles”. And these “battles” started up right before our eyes, the battles which are led by all sorts of radicals and extremists and ISIS grouping first of all…

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It is obvious that this radical movement achieved significant results disseminating ideas and placing propaganda materials in the internet. The seriousness of ISIS propaganda had been recognized even by those who are considered of being gooroos in psy-ops. The western experts in information technologies are trying to stop the ISIS web marching, being aware of that the increasing flow of “cannon fodder” might be dangerous for them.

Many reports say about the beginning of unprecedented “electronic mobilization” for the fight against the extremists, who are closely cooperating with their potential followers in a huge and multifaceted Internet space. The specialized “electronic troops” are prepared for such virtual confrontation aimed to wage a war against extremists’ ideology. The reason of the western states activity is explained by the fact that the radicals penetrate into the brains of the young people in various regions of the world. First of all the western states worry about the European young people who are recruited by radicals through internet and are replenishing their growing ranks. There is another relevant aspect. The citizens of the European countries who joined the extremists may come to the territory of the North America later on, especially when there is no restriction in crossing the borders between EU and the USA.

Perhaps, these fears caused the USA to hold special international conference in Kuwait and here the USA called to establish the united “virtual battlefield” against ISIS. The battle the world community is losing meanwhile.

It is a fact that the coordinator of international coalition against extremists ex-general John Allen said that “propaganda ISIS promotes is a terrible war aimed to recruit and corrupt the young people brains”. As the general reckons “the radicals might be defeated if we try to convince the youth in the wrong ideology of radicals”.

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The electronic security is another important constituent in the fight against extremists. The western states have a big concern regarding the capability of extremists for hacker attacks and their ability to harm economy and security after disseminating propaganda and agitation. Their fears have been proven. For instance the ISIS members have attacked servers of military departments of western states successfully.

According The Financial Times reports the American information security companies “reckon ISIS as one of the serious threat in Internet at present”.

For example David DeWalt, head of cybersecurity firm FireEye, stated that the grouping “uses internet possibilities differently and unlike the other extremists: if the majority of similar organizations use internet as the mean to submit their ideas to the people ISIL uses the net to recruit the new members and send the threats to their opponents”. Many “information warfare” experts report that some members of the grouping took special courses in stage direction, camera work, announcers and actors courses.

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In fact the ideologists of radicals acknowledge “information warfare” as the important constituent of their activity and sometimes appreciate it much more than the simple conduction of war.

Information campaigns the extremists wage have several aims and the most important are: the impact on their opponents on the whole and recruitment of the new members and not only the rank-and-file terrorist but also the various specialists.

The radicals succeeded in using the social networks like Twitter and Facebook and made them to serve their interests. To disseminate their ideology in Europe the extremists successfully use the Russian social network “Vkontakte”, the Arab media reports.

One of the distinctive features of those “information warfare” the extremists of Levant wage became their video clips made on the high technical level. Among the different propaganda slogans and appeals spread in YouTube the public severe executions took a special place. By these means the radicals terrorize their opponents (including the civilians) and also awake the wild animal instincts in them – hatred barbarism and cruelty which often prevail over the high feelings like love, charity, striving for spirituality and perfection.

ISIS has been doing the same thing now Hollywood has done in 40^th of the last century when director Frank Capra shot the film called “Propaganda war”, by the opinion of the most experts. “We opened fire without weapons, without cartridges. But our “psychological weapon” was destructive, there was no chance to resist it”, the director said later on. Now the history repeats itself… but instead of the USA this “weapon” is used by the radicals from ISIS, the experts note.

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It’s obvious that the fight against terrorism can’t be waged by the military means only – the interim wins will be achieved then.

Ideological impact is the most effective way in information warfare. The lectures of famous religious scientists may be considered as one of the ways. However they mustn’t criticize the actions of terrorist organizations but they must prove vividly that extremists’ ideology conflicts with Islam values, since Islam strongly condemns any murders of innocent and helpless people.

The use of Internet, television and print media in the fight against radicals; a particular focus on their wrong ideology, wrong interpretation of Quran, cruelty and barbarism contradictory to ideals of monotheism – these all must play a key role in standing against extremism.

It’s important to strip extremists of Islamic terminology, because every time when the terminology accepted in Muslim religious tradition is used to define radicals (the name of grouping in particular) the zombification of potentially serviceable recruits for terrorists happens.

Otherwise the use of military means, air bombardment and even land operations will not give the proper result. And the possible liquidation of ISIS will not kill the ideology of extremism because this niche will be occupied by the other grouping “armed” with such-like ideology. Especially since there are the forces concerned about their existence and are keen to use them in their own hellish aims.

Ruslan Raminov, specially for portal

Muslim Politic