Using the Internet to market terrorism: at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in Tunis

November 22, 2005 
Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center at the Center for Special Studies
Original Source: http://www.intelligence.org.il/eng/eng_n/tunis_e.htm


Using the Internet to market terrorism: at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in Tunis (November 16-18, 2005), Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom based his remarks, among other sources, on an Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center Special Bulletin about Hamas Internet sites. Israel won a diplomatic victory at the Summit when the issue of countering terrorism on the Internet was included in the Summit’s closing statement. Hamas reported the matter on its sites and even noted that Minister Shalom used a Bulletin which appeared on the Center for Special Studies Website.1
 

Main points of the Special Information Bulletin 
 
On October 10, 2005 the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center issued a Special Bulletin dealing with the extensive use Hamas makes of the Internet to spread disinformation, terrorist propaganda and incitement to violence. It should be noted that of all the Palestinian terrorist organizations, Hamas has the most significant Internet presence . 
The Bulletin presented the findings of an examination of Hamas's nine leading Internet sites (which appear in seven languages). Those findings showed that the sites, which are orchestrated by Damascus and operate in Beirut , continue to use the services of ISPs located in Eastern Europe ( Russia and the Ukraine ) and South East Asia ( Malaysia and Indonesia ) . 
http://www.intelligence.org.il/sp/heb_n/img/kids_hamas.jpg \* MERGEFORMATINET
Hamas uses the Internet to market its terrorist message: 
pictures from the Hamas online children's magazine Al-Fateh 
showing children holding weapons, stones and volumes 
of the Qur'an and sporting green Hamas headbands. 
 
The issue of countering terrorism as raised at the WSIS 
 
At the WSIS summit in Tunis ( whose goal was to develop rules for Internet governance) , the Israeli delegation, led by Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, raised the issue of countering terrorism on the Internet. The issue was raised witht eh support of the European delegates Israel won a diplomatic victory when it was included in the summit's 
closing statement . 
The following quotation is from Silvan Shalom's speech (made on November 16) describing Hamas Internet use ( based on a Special Bulletin issued by the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center ) and calling for international cooperation in inspecting terrorism Internet sites: 
 
“At present, Hamas, a radical Islamic terrorist organization dedicated to the destruction of the State of Israel, is one of the most active terrorist groups on the Net. It runs no less than eight Internet sites in seven languages. These sites are replete with anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli incitement, calls to violence and even instructions on the use of weapons and explosives. Operational orders are also transferred between Hamas headquarters and its terror cells by means of this Internet presence. Fighting terrorism on the Net will require close international cooperation, and this is precisely where the matter is put on the door step of the WSIS process...” 
 
Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom speaking before the summit conference in Tunis . 
He called for international cooperation in the struggle against using the Internet to
promote terrorism and violence (Photo courtesy of the Government Press Office) 
 
Israel 's demand to include the issue in the closing statement was agreed to by the conference and expressed in Article 44 of the closing statement of the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society, as follows: 
“We also underline the importance of countering terrorism in all its forms and manifestations on the Internet while respecting human rights and in compliance with other obligations under international law…” 
The Hamas response 
Hamas was quick to issue a reply and on November 19 responded to Minister Shalom's speech in a posting entitled “The Hamas nightmare hounded [Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan] Shalom to Tunis .” The following is the text of the article:  

The Hamas nightmare hounds Shalom to Tunis 
The Hamas nightmare hounded the Zionist Minister, Silvan Shalom, to Tunis , which he visited as the first of the senior Zionists, whose plane left the Zionist entity and landed in the Tunisian capital.
During his visit, [Minister] Shalom met with the head of the Palestinian Authority (PA) Mahmoud Abbas, Abu Mazen. During the meetings, at which Shalom confirmed that the Zionist entity opposed Hamas' participation in the coming elections to the [Palestinian] legislative council, Hamas was [an issue of the discussion].
In his speech to the World Summit on the Information Society in Tunis, Shalom attacked Hamas and its use of the Internet . He said: “One of the primary dangers facing all of us is global terrorism. The Internet creates great challenges for coping with terrorism and with the environment which supports and sponsors it, enabling it to spread. Israel is firm in its position that the principles of opposing terrorism which the WSIS confirmed, apply to the Internet . Israel feels the need to stress the responsibility of the countries [of the world] to oppose terrorism on every front, as was stated by UN Security Council resolution 1373 [2001], which stated that states ‘refrain from providing any form of support, negatively or positively [sic], to entities or persons involved in terrorist acts,' he [the Israeli Foreign Minister] said.
The terrorist [Silvan] Shalom added: At present, Hamas, a radical Islamic terrorist organization dedicated to the destruction of the State of Israel, is one of the most active terrorist groups on the Net. It runs no less than eight Internet sites in seven languages. These sites are replete with anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli incitement, calls to violence and even instructions on the use of weapons and explosives . Operational orders are also transferred between Hamas headquarters and its terror cells by means of this Internet presence.” 
Shalom based his speech on the Zionist [Internet] site called the Center for Special Studies, which recently issued a report on Internet sites is claims belong to Hamas.” 2
1 “Marketing terrorism by Internet: the Hamas terrorist movement continues using Internet Service Providers in Eastern Europe
and South East Asia to operate its leading sites ” 
2 The Special Bulletin issued by the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center on October 10, 2005, has been quoted before on Hamas Internet sites.