Editing Al-Qaeda (section)

=== Internet ===
Al-Qaeda and its successors have migrated online to escape detection in an atmosphere of increased international vigilance. The group's use of the Internet has grown more sophisticated, with online activities that include financing, recruitment, networking, mobilization, publicity, and information dissemination, gathering and sharing.<ref>{{cite web|first1=Timothy|last1=Thomas|url=http://www.carlisle.army.mil/usawc/Parameters/03spring/thomas.pdf|title=Al Qaeda and the Internet: The Danger of Cyberplanning|date=February 14, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030326120423/http://www.carlisle.army.mil/usawc/parameters/03spring/thomas.pdf|archive-date=March 26, 2003}}</ref>

[[Abu Ayyub al-Masri]]'s al-Qaeda movement in Iraq regularly releases short videos glorifying the activity of jihadist suicide bombers. In addition, both before and after the death of [[Abu Musab al-Zarqawi]] (the former leader of [[al-Qaeda in Iraq]]), the umbrella organization to which al-Qaeda in Iraq belongs, the [[Mujahideen Shura Council (Iraq)|Mujahideen Shura Council]], has a regular [[web presence|presence on the Web]].

The range of multimedia content includes guerrilla training clips, stills of victims about to be murdered, testimonials of suicide bombers, and videos that show participation in jihad through stylized portraits of mosques and musical scores. A website associated with al-Qaeda posted a video of captured American entrepreneur [[Nick Berg]] being decapitated in Iraq. Other decapitation videos and pictures, including those of [[Paul Johnson (hostage)|Paul Johnson]], [[Kim Sun-il]] (posted on websites),<ref>{{Cite web|date=July 24, 2004|title=U.S.-Based Al Qaeda Websites Operate Freely; Shocking Pix! – Jeremy Reynalds – MensNewsDaily.com™|url=http://www.mensnewsdaily.com/archive/r/reynalds/04/reynalds072204.htm|access-date=May 22, 2024|archive-date=July 24, 2004|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040724075824/http://www.mensnewsdaily.com/archive/r/reynalds/04/reynalds072204.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> and [[Daniel Pearl]] obtained by investigators, have taken place.<ref>{{Cite web|title= Major Business News|url=https://www.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/pearl-022102.htm|access-date=May 22, 2024|website=The Wall Street Journal}}</ref>

In December 2004 an audio message claiming to be from bin Laden was posted directly to a website, rather than sending a copy to [[Al Jazeera Media Network|al Jazeera]] as he had done in the past. Al-Qaeda turned to the Internet for release of its videos in order to be certain they would be available unedited, rather than risk the possibility of al Jazeera editing out anything critical of the [[Saudi royal family]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://jamestown.org/terrorism/news/article.php?articleid=2373884|title=Bin Laden Identifies Saudi Arabia as the Enemy of Mujahideen Unity|author=Scheuer, Michael|date=January 2008|work=Terrorism Focus|publisher=Jamestown Foundation|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070625152714/http://jamestown.org/terrorism/news/article.php?articleid=2373884|archive-date=June 25, 2007}}</ref>

The US government charged a British information technology specialist, [[Babar Ahmad]], with terrorist offences related to his operating a network of English-language al-Qaeda websites, such as Azzam.com. He was convicted and sentenced to {{frac|12|1|2}} years in prison.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Whitlock|first1=Craig|author-link=Craig Whitlock|title=Briton Used Internet As His Bully Pulpit|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=August 8, 2005|page=A1|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/07/AR2005080700890.html|access-date=September 4, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Babar Ahmad Indicted on Terrorism Charges|publisher=United States Attorney's Office District of Connecticut|date=October 6, 2004|url=http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/ct/Press2004/20041006.html|access-date=May 29, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060526115318/http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/ct/Press2004/20041006.html|archive-date=May 26, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-28335976|title=British cyber-jihadist Babar Ahmad jailed in US|publisher=BBC News|access-date=July 6, 2015}}</ref>

==== Online communications ====
In 2007, al-Qaeda released ''[[Mujahedeen Secrets]]'', encryption software used for online and cellular communications. A later version, ''[[Mujahideen Secrets 2]]'', was released in 2008.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://nytimes.com/2013/09/30/us/qaeda-plot-leak-has-undermined-us-intelligence.html|work=The New York Times|first1=Eric|last1=Schmitt|first2=Michael S.|last2=Schmidt|title=Qaeda Plot Leak Has Undermined U.S. Intelligence|date=September 29, 2013}}</ref>